Laura Smith
Ultrasonication is a process that uses high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles in a liquid. When these bubbles collapse, they release intense localized shear forces that break down cell walls and release the contents of the cells into the liquid. Ultrasonic extraction is a fast and mild method to produce high-quality mushroom extracts. It is used to break down the cell walls of mushrooms and release their bioactive compounds into a solvent. The process is known to improve the extraction of psilocybin from mushrooms and is used to extract bioactive compounds from medicinal mushrooms such as Chaga, Reishi, Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Shiitake, and Maitake.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose of sonicating mushrooms | Extraction of bioactive compounds such as psilocybin, polysaccharides, and triterpenoids |
| Mushroom species commonly sonicated | Psilocybe cubensis, Ganoderma lucidum, Chaga, Reishi, Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Shiitake, and Maitake |
| Ultrasonicators types | Bath-type and probe-type |
| Advantages of sonication | High yield, fast extraction rates, non-thermal process, simple and safe operation, high antioxidant activity |
| Factors influencing ultrasonic extraction efficiency | Raw material, amplitude, capacity, volume, batch or inline process, and timeline |
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What You'll Learn
- Ultrasonic extraction of psilocybin from mushrooms
- Extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal mushrooms
- Ultrasonic extraction of polysaccharides and triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum
- Extraction of psilocybin from Psilocybe cubensis
- Ultrasonic extraction of mushrooms using probe-type ultrasonicator
Ultrasonic extraction of psilocybin from mushrooms
Ultrasonic extraction is a highly effective method for isolating psilocybin from mushrooms. Psilocybin is a psychoactive, hallucinogenic substance found in various mushroom genera, including Psilocybe, Panaeolina, and Conocybe. The potency of these mushrooms can vary due to natural factors, and ultrasonic extraction helps standardize the concentration of psilocybin in the final product.
Ultrasonication is a process that utilizes high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles in a liquid medium. These bubbles undergo rapid expansion and compression cycles, eventually imploding and creating intense shear forces. This process breaks down the cell walls of mushrooms, releasing their bioactive compounds, including psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin, into the solvent. The two types of ultrasonicators used are bath-type and probe-type, with the latter being more effective due to its ability to transmit uniform and high-intensity ultrasonic energy.
The advantages of ultrasonic extraction of psilocybin from mushrooms are significant. Firstly, it offers a high extraction yield of psychedelic compounds in a rapid extraction time, making it an efficient technique for producing high-quality psilocybin. Secondly, it provides a free choice of solvents, such as water, ethanol, or water-alcohol mixtures, allowing for flexibility in the extraction process. Additionally, ultrasonic extraction is a simple, safe, and mild procedure that does not rely on heat, preserving the integrity of heat-sensitive compounds.
To perform ultrasonic extraction of psilocybin, fresh or dried mushrooms, including the caps and stems, can be used as they contain the desired psychoactive compounds. The mushrooms are chopped into small pieces and placed in a glass beaker with cold water. An ultrasonic probe, such as the UP100H or UP400St, is then used to sonicate the mixture. The amplitude setting and sonication time depend on the raw material and process requirements. After extraction, the mushroom pieces are separated through filtration, and the solvent is removed using an evaporation system. The final extract, containing psilocybin and other bioactive compounds, can be stored in a dark glass container in a freezer to prolong its shelf life.
Overall, ultrasonic extraction is a preferred technique for isolating psilocybin from mushrooms due to its high yield, rapid extraction, and ability to produce high-quality extracts. The process is versatile, efficient, and suitable for both laboratory and industrial-scale extraction of psilocybin from mushrooms.
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Extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal mushrooms
Medicinal mushrooms have been established as superfoods and nootropics due to their positive effects on cognitive functions and the immune system. They are also used to prevent and treat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and inflammation. The most well-known species of edible fungi include Chaga, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Shiitake, and Maitake.
Mushrooms contain many bioactive ingredients that are beneficial to human health, such as polysaccharides, terpenes, phenolic compounds, adenosine, and vitamins. The most common polysaccharides in mushrooms are glycogen glucans and structural cell wall polysaccharides. According to their water solubility, polysaccharides can be divided into water-soluble polysaccharides and water-insoluble polysaccharides. Water-soluble polysaccharides can be extracted with water, but water-insoluble polysaccharides are more challenging to extract, requiring a high temperature and pressure.
Ultrasonic technology has emerged as a valuable technique for the extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal mushrooms. It is a fast, mild, and efficient method for producing high-quality mushroom extracts. The application of ultrasonic technology to mushroom polysaccharide extraction is based on cavitation and thermal effects. When ultrasonic energy is released, the cavitation effect produces a microjet, a shock wave, and a high shear force, which enhances extraction by promoting cell wall rupture, mass transfer, and capillary interaction between incompatible phases. This results in increased extraction efficiency and yield of polysaccharides. Additionally, ultrasonication reduces the temperature and time of extraction, allowing thermally unstable compounds to be extracted.
Ultrasonication can be achieved through bath-type and probe-type ultrasonicators. The probe-type ultrasonicator is considered more efficient, as it is equipped with a tip that can be inserted directly into the sample, allowing for more focused and localized application of ultrasonic energy. This results in efficient cell disruption and extraction of bioactive compounds, especially in dense or hard-to-reach areas of the sample. The high-intensity probe-type sonication is necessary to break down the chitin in the mushroom cell walls and release the bioactive compounds.
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Ultrasonic extraction of polysaccharides and triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum
Ultrasonication is a process that uses high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles in a liquid. When these bubbles collapse, they generate intense localised shear forces that can break down cell walls and release the contents of the cells into the liquid. Ultrasonic extraction is the most simple and versatile method for cell disruption and the production of extracts. It is used in the food, pharma, and nutraceutical industries to isolate targeted compounds from plant and animal tissues.
Ultrasonic extraction is used to isolate pharmaceutically and nutraceutically active substances from mushrooms. The process can be used to extract psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin from mushrooms, which are psychoactive, hallucinogenic substances. The potency of these mushrooms can vary due to their natural development in response to their environment, so ultrasonic extraction can help reduce the risk of unexpectedly strong or weak doses of these substances.
Ultrasonic extraction can also be used to extract polysaccharides and triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum, commonly known as "Lingzhi" in Chinese and Reishi in Japanese. G. lucidum is a medicinal mushroom that is rich in biologically active substances, including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, phenols, steroids, lectin, amino acids, nucleosides, and nucleotides. Polysaccharides and triterpenoids are the two major components responsible for the bioactivity of this fungus.
The ultrasonic-assisted co-extraction (UACE) process of polysaccharides and triterpenoids from G. lucidum was optimised using response surface methodology with a desirability function, giving equal importance to the two components. The optimal conditions for extraction were determined as an ultrasonic power of 210 W, a temperature of 80°C, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 50 mL/g, and an extraction time of 100 minutes, using aqueous ethanol (50%, v/v) as the extracting solvent. Under these optimal conditions, the extraction yields of polysaccharides and triterpenoids reached 0.63% and 0.38%, respectively. These yields were lower than those obtained with conventional processes, possibly due to the low solubility of polysaccharides in aqueous ethanol.
The UACE process developed in this study could be useful in the preparation of a polysaccharide- and triterpenoid-rich ingredient for application in the Ganoderma industry.
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Extraction of psilocybin from Psilocybe cubensis
The extraction of psilocybin from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms has gained interest due to its therapeutic efficacy and low toxicity, with potential applications in treating various mental health disorders. Ultrasonic extraction, also known as sonication, has emerged as the most effective technique for obtaining high-quality psilocybin extracts. This method utilizes high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles, which, upon collapsing, generate intense localized forces that break down cell walls and release the desired compounds into a solvent.
The process of ultrasonic extraction for Psilocybe cubensis involves several steps. Firstly, fresh mushrooms are dried to preserve their psychoactive alkaloid concentration. This step is crucial, as high temperatures or prolonged exposure to heat can lead to the decomposition of alkaloids. The drying process is often achieved in a forced air oven at 25°C for approximately 10 hours.
Once dried, the Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms are ground into a fine powder to increase the surface area for efficient mass transfer between the mushroom and the chosen solvent. The solvent plays a critical role in the extraction process, with polar solvents such as methanol acidified with acetic or hydrochloric acid being recommended to enhance compound solubility and prevent degradation. The ground mushroom material is then combined with the solvent in an extraction vessel, which is heat-controlled and agitated to facilitate the release of the desired compounds.
Ultrasonic treatment is then applied to the mixture, utilizing equipment such as the UP400St or UP100H. This treatment generates high-power ultrasound waves that break down the cell walls of the mushrooms, allowing the psilocybin molecules to be released into the solvent. The resulting solution undergoes filtration to separate the extracted compounds from the mushroom debris. Finally, the solvent is evaporated, leaving behind a powdered psilocybin extract with a known concentration of psychoactive compounds.
The extraction method and mushroom species significantly impact the yield and efficiency of psilocybin extraction. Psilocybe cubensis is known for its high psilocybin content, and ultrasonic extraction has proven effective for this species due to its dense cellular structure. The choice of mushroom parts, such as caps or stems, also influences the extraction yield, with caps generally exhibiting higher concentrations of psilocybin. Overall, ultrasonic extraction offers high yields, rapid extraction rates, and the ability to work with various solvents, making it a preferred technique for producing high-quality psilocybin extracts from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms.
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Ultrasonic extraction of mushrooms using probe-type ultrasonicator
Ultrasonic extraction is a highly effective method for isolating bioactive compounds from mushrooms. The process involves using high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles in a liquid medium, which, upon collapse, exert intense localized shear forces that break down cell walls and release intracellular contents.
The two types of ultrasonicators used for mushroom extraction are bath-type and probe-type. The bath-type ultrasonicator involves placing the mushroom sample in a container filled with a solvent and applying ultrasonic waves to the entire container. However, this method has limitations due to the indirect sonication of the sample, resulting in uneven and low-intensity ultrasound distribution.
On the other hand, the probe-type ultrasonicator, such as the Hielscher UP100H, offers significant advantages. It is equipped with a probe that can be inserted directly into the sample, allowing for a more focused and localized application of ultrasonic energy. This direct contact ensures efficient cell disruption and thorough extraction of bioactive compounds, especially in dense or hard-to-reach areas of the mushroom tissue. The probe's mobility further enhances macro-mixing, guaranteeing complete sonication of all mushroom parts, including those with thick cell walls or dense structures.
The Hielscher UP100H is a powerful 100-watt ultrasonic homogenizer with a 14mm probe (MS14) that is ideal for small-batch botanical extraction. The intensity of the ultrasound can be adjusted using the amplitude dial to optimize the extraction process.
The ultrasonic extraction of mushrooms using a probe-type ultrasonicator, such as the Hielscher UP100H, offers several benefits. It provides a more uniform and efficient extraction of bioactive compounds compared to bath-type ultrasonicators. The high-intensity ultrasound effectively breaks down the chitin in mushroom cell walls, releasing the desired compounds. Additionally, the concentrated form of ultrasonic extracts means that even small amounts can provide significant health benefits.
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Frequently asked questions
Sonication is a process in which high-frequency sound waves are used to create cavitation bubbles in a liquid. These bubbles collapse, creating intense localized shear forces that can break down cells and release their contents into the liquid.
Sonication is a fast and mild extraction method that can be used to break down the cell walls of mushrooms and release their bioactive compounds into a solvent. This results in higher yields of extraction and faster extraction rates.
Bioactive compounds in mushrooms include psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin, norbaeocystin, and polysaccharides. These compounds can have various effects, such as improving immune function and boosting cognitive function.
Ultrasonication is known as the most simple and versatile method for cell disruption and the production of extracts. It offers outstanding effectiveness, resulting in very high yields and fast extraction rates. It is also a non-thermal process, which is advantageous for food and medical substances.
A probe-type ultrasonicator is generally considered more efficient for mushroom extraction as it provides a more focused and localized application of ultrasonic energy. This ensures that the chitin in the mushroom cell walls is adequately sonicated, resulting in a more efficient and thorough extraction of bioactive compounds.
