A synthetic nutrient solution that provides Psilocybe Cubensis with all essential nutrients is as follows:
Product: 60 g of concentrated synthetic nutrient solution
Concentration: 100 g will produce 8 L of aqueous nutrient solution.
Acidity: 7.5 g of concentrate should produce 1 L of solution with a pH of 5.5
Quality: Does not need to meet reagent purity, food grade is acceptable.
Make Up: Relevance of definition in the order of Formula, Name, then CAS RN:
1. Glucose (C6H12O6) [40 g] CAS: [50-99-7]
2. Ammonium Succinate (C4H12N2O4) [8 g] CAS: [2226-88-2]
3. Yeast Extract (Organic Extract) [4 g] CAS: [8013-01-2]
4. Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4-7H2O) [4 g] CAS: [7487-88-9]
5. Glycine (C2H5NO2) [3 g] CAS: [CAS 56-40-6]
6. Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) [800 mg] CAS: [7778-77-0]
7. Thiamine Hydrochloride (C12H17ClN4OS HCl) [24 mg] CAS: [67-03-8]
8. Ferrous Sulfate,Heptahydrate (FeSO4-7H2O) [20 mg] CAS: [7720-78-7]
9. Cupric Sulfate,5-Hydrate (CuSO4-5H2O) [4 mg] CAS: [7758-98-7]
10. Manganese Chloride, 4-Hydrate (MnCl2-4H2O) [2.8 mg] CAS: [7773-01-5]
11. Zinc Sulfate, Heptahydrate (ZnSO4-7H2O) [2.4 mg] CAS: [7733-02-0]
12. Ammonium Molybdate, 4-Hydrate ((NH4)6Mo7O24-4H2O) [0.4 mg] CAS: [12027-67-7]
13. DiHydrogen Oxide (H2O) [146.4 mg - X] CAS: [7732-18-5]
14. Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) [X mg] adjusted to balance solution pH when properly diluted.
This solution is typically used for the production of psilocybin in submerged mycelium cultures of Ps.C. When well aerated this solution comes to complete submerged growth in about 11 days. It is typically ready for harvest and at highest alkaloid content in 7 days. Solution fermented for up to 50 days did not display any primordia or fruiting responses. Nutrient solution saturated agar surface cultures display rapid growth, primordia formation, and raised alkaloid content. Omission of essential nutrients suppresses growth and lowers alkaloid content, in some cases to undetectable amounts, in both submerged and surface cultures.
I believe the idea of nutrient depletion and deficiency acting as a triggering response to be false. Perhaps this is a misinterpretation of data, whereby a nutrient deficient mycelia culture was used to inoculate a nutrient rich substrate. The resulting mycelium is unable to begin fruiting until significant alkaloid creation has taken place. Nutrient rich mycelium cultures are capable of primordia formation with in as little as 3 days of exposure to an open-air interface.
The traditional triggers of the fruiting response are a drop in temperature, a drop in humidity, and an exposure to light, these stimuli correspond to mycelia surfacing in nature. I further purpose a set of internal triggers that directly relate to alkaloid levels within the mycelium, whereby primordia formation is seldom initiated in the absence of significant psilocybin levels. Further evidence to support psilocybin as a growth regulator comes from the evaluation of the organism's biomechanics.
Of most interest is this organism's management of phosphors, it is essential in the production of DNA, and this organisms spore reproduction method requires the production of allot of DNA. There is also an isolatable enzyme in the biomass that actively removes the phosphorus from psilocybin. We have a theory at "the lab" that assumes this enzyme is responsible for the acquisition of phosphorus to be used in the production DNA. The resulting levels of psilocin production and lowered psilocybin content are thereby directly related to the production of spores. The production of psilocybin seems to be a mechanism by which the organism can "sense" its environments chemical makeup for, as well as store, the nutrients necessary in the process of reproduction.
Since submerged cultures are constantly at +100% humidity the fruiting response is usually suppressed, even with lowered temperatures and exposure to light. It is possible a mutant strain could "adapt" and attempt to fruit in an aquatic environment, but it is more likely the response was initiated at the open-air interface and then produced abnormal submerged growth from that point.
These solutions can be aerated using an aquarium air pump, an inline HEPA filter, and some sterilized tubing. Sandstones can be quite useful but difficult to sterilize ( submerge in alcohol then rinse in distilled water and H2O2 ). The substrate in a hydroponics setup is typically inert since all the nutrients are provided directly from the nutrient solution.
In a supportive nutrient solution, a slightly acidic environment, and raised glucose levels the submerged mycelium exhibits rapid and aggressive growth. By doubling glucose levels from 5 g/l to 10 g/l the resulting mycelium had slightly higher mass and the psilocybin content was doubled to 1.01% by day 7, unfortunately the glucose induced hyper activity resulted in a rapid degradation and psilocybin content diminished to .1% by day 11.
Aside from the addition of the essential nutrients needed for efficient growth and raised glucose levels the addition of glucuronic acid and homobrassinolide have shown to stimulate mycelia and fruit growth. The growth promoting effect of glucuronic acid at 2% may be that of an additional carbon source in regards to Ps.C. The strong growth promoting effect of pollen at 2% and 10% is possibly the effect of homobrassinolide, a brassinosteroid hormone, which was detected at concentrations of 100 ng/g in pollen. 10% pollen in a medium would correspond to a hormone concentration of 10 µg/l, a level that has been shown to enhance the growth of Psilocybe cubensis. Glucuronic acid at 2% had a weak growth promoting effect and pollen at 2% and 10% had a strong growth promoting effect.
References available upon request.
-Zen