Shroom Scan #119: Vitamin D mushrooms, psilocybin sleep gains, and death cap cancer drugs

Hi Shroomers. A slightly lighter week than usual: 15 studies, reviews, and reports from across the fungal kingdom.

The biggest surprise was watching two completely opposite stories unfold around the same mushroom. Death cap mushrooms were linked to California's largest recent poisoning outbreak, causing 4 deaths and 3 liver transplants. At the same time, scientists are turning the very same toxin into a precision cancer drug designed to target tumors while sparing healthy tissue.

Elsewhere, button mushrooms got a vitamin D upgrade, psilocybin continued to show promise for anxiety and sleep, marine fungi chewed through microplastics, and researchers found new ways to turn mushroom leftovers into healthier burgers, jerky, and sausage.

As always, the most interesting thing about fungi isn't what they are; it's what they do.

Vitamin D upgrade ☀️ Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder exposed to UV-B light reached a vitamin D₂ yield of 3%, while a menthol-based extraction system achieved 85% ergosterol extraction and a 4% vitamin D₂ yield. The process also improved vitamin D₂ storage stability by 21% and ergosterol stability by 25% compared with ethanol. Mushrooms are already one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin D, and these techniques dramatically increase how much vitamin D₂ can be produced from a single mushroom.

Deadly lookalikes ☠️ Northern California recorded 39 suspected amatoxin mushroom poisonings between November 2025 and March 2026, resulting in 3 liver transplants and 4 deaths, which is the largest mushroom-related liver-toxicity outbreak reported in California history. Poisonous death caps (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angels (Amanita ocreata) were frequently mistaken for edible mushrooms, with symptoms often appearing more than 6 hours after eating and progressing to liver failure within days. Even with medical treatment, amatoxin poisoning carries a 10–20% fatality rate, and cooking does not destroy the toxins. This stat shouldn’t be as scary as it should highlight that you shouldn’t eat any mushroom found unless you are 120% certain.

Milky mushroom power 🥛 Milky mushroom (Calocybe indica) was packed with antioxidants, including 392 mg/g of phenolic compounds, and showed strong activity against harmful bacteria. Researchers identified several natural mushroom compounds that attached tightly to a key bacterial protein, helping explain its antibacterial effects. One edible mushroom delivered both high antioxidant activity and multiple bacteria-fighting compounds in a single extract.

Poison fights cancer 🎯 In a twist, amanitin, the deadly toxin from death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides), shuts down RNA Polymerase II, halting all protein production and killing both fast-growing and dormant cancer cells that often survive conventional treatments. In prostate-cancer models, the amanitin-based drug HDP-103 produced durable anti-tumor responses, remained active for 5–10 days, and outperformed comparable anti-PSMA cancer drugs while showing manageable liver and kidney side effects. A toxin responsible for fatal mushroom poisonings is now being engineered into precision therapies for multiple myeloma and advanced prostate cancer. Please do not ingest these mushrooms, this is clinical research in the early stages at best and using a very specific drug formula.

The placebo problem 😎 In a double-blind trial of 120 healthy volunteers, 92.5% of participants correctly guessed when they received 15 mg psilocybin, compared with 65% for MDMA and 50% for methylphenidate. Investigators also guessed psilocybin correctly 95% of the time, showing that psychedelic trials can become functionally unblinded even when everyone is technically blinded. Psilocybin’s sensory and consciousness-altering effects make it especially hard to hide from participants, which matters when expectations can shape reported outcomes.

Anxiety relief review 😌 Across 25 studies, psilocybin-assisted therapy consistently reduced anxiety symptoms, with some anxiety scores improving by 12.6 points on clinician assessments and 5.6 points on patient questionnaires. The strongest results appeared in people dealing with depression, cancer-related distress, and other mental health challenges. Anxiety is one of the clearest areas where psilocybin therapy continues to show meaningful benefits, although results varied across studies.

Sleep rebound 😴 People with chronic cluster headaches received three psilocybin doses over three weeks and improved their sleep scores by an average of 2.5 points. Better sleep was linked to changes in brain structure, suggesting the improvements went beyond headache relief alone. The findings hint that psilocybin's benefits may extend into sleep quality, recovery, and overall brain health.

Understanding the risks ⚠️ Across 23 human studies, rates of psychedelic-associated hypomania or mania ranged from 5.8% in controlled psilocybin therapy trials to 30% in naturalistic studies involving people with bipolar disorder. Among 7,478 participants, the rate of later transition to bipolar disorder was 4%, with no evidence that psychedelics uniquely triggered bipolar illness compared with other factors. Most manic symptoms were short-lived and self-limiting, with the highest risks seen in people with bipolar I disorder, family history of bipolar disorder, polysubstance use, and unsupervised psychedelic use.

Hidden fungal network 🌺 Across 28 orchid species in Japan’s Ryukyu Archipelago, researchers identified 57 orchid-associated fungal groups, including 6 generalist fungi that each partnered with more than 10 orchid species. Most associations belonged to the fungal family Tulasnellaceae, and the orchids showed remarkably low specialization, sharing many of the same underground fungal partners across habitats and islands. A small group of versatile fungi appears to support entire orchid communities, making them promising targets for orchid conservation and restoration efforts.

Salt-stress shield 🥜 Walnut (Juglans regia) seedlings grown in 0.8% salt soil gained 24% more biomass after 30 days when inoculated with two beneficial fungi, Funneliformis mosseae and Piriformospora indica, compared with untreated stressed plants. The fungal partnership boosted chlorophyll b by 99%, increased antioxidant enzyme activity by as much as 57%, and reduced markers of cellular damage by nearly 29%. Tiny fungal allies helped walnut trees keep growing, photosynthesizing, and defending themselves despite increasingly salty conditions.

Plastic-eating fungi 🌊 A marine fungus called Talaromyces calidominioluteus broke down 33% of HDPE microplastic in just 30 days without any chemical treatment or UV exposure. The fungus released powerful enzymes that cracked and damaged the plastic surface, leaving behind visible pits, fractures, and chemically altered fragments. Instead of sitting in the ocean for decades, some plastics may be vulnerable to natural fungal recycling.

Fungi eat feathers 🪶 Mycelial fungi in the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota groups produce keratinases that break down stubborn keratin waste like chicken feathers, hair, leather scraps, and other protein-rich leftovers. Those enzymes can turn low-value waste into animal feed, fertilizer, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, detergents, tannery products, and bioplastics. Fungi are being positioned as small enzyme factories for one of agriculture’s messiest waste streams.

Fungi help chocolate 🍫 Endophytic fungi living inside cacao (Theobroma cacao) pods can suppress major diseases like black pod rot and frosty pod rot through competition, antibiosis, mycoparasitism, and activation of plant defenses, helping protect bean quality before harvest. Researchers reviewed 67 studies and identified fungi such as Trichoderma and Clonostachys as leading biocontrol candidates, with field trials showing reduced disease incidence and healthier pods entering fermentation. Better pod health could lead to more consistent fermentation, improved flavor development, and lower mycotoxin risk, although direct studies linking endophyte treatments to chocolate quality are still largely missing.

Healthier burgers 🍔 Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) leftovers were used to replace some of the fat in pork burgers, boosting fiber by as much as 110% while adding more minerals and antioxidants. The mushroom-enhanced burgers also stayed fresher longer, with less fat oxidation and slower microbial growth during 7 days of refrigeration. Instead of becoming waste, mushroom stems and growing material helped turn an everyday burger into a more nutritious food.

Jerky gets juicier 🥩 Adding proteins from oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus), shiitake (Lentinula edodes), enoki (Flammulina velutipes), and king oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii) increased moisture in Cordyceps militaris pork jerky to about 19% and raised soluble protein levels to 8–11 g per 100 g while preserving key bioactive compounds including cordycepin and adenosine. Mushroom proteins also significantly reduced hardness and brittleness, with oyster mushroom protein producing the softest texture and highest sensory scores. The result was a more tender, protein-rich jerky that maintained its functional mushroom compounds without increasing fat or microbial contamination.

Fiber-boosted sausage 🌭 Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder was added to Turkish fermented sausage at 5%, 8%, and 10%, raising dietary fiber and protein while lowering fat compared with the control. The 5% mushroom version performed best with tasters, earning the highest flavor score on day 7, while 10% mushroom consistently scored lowest despite delivering the most fiber. Button mushroom powder improved nutrition and lipid stability, but the sweet spot for taste was clearly the lower-dose sausage.