Analysis of indole compounds from the fruiting bodies and the culture mycelia of Sarcodon imbricatus

• Sporocarps and biomass from in vitro cultures of Sarcodon imbricatus were analyzed.
• The content of indole compounds from the material in vivo and in vitro were compared.
• l-tryptophan, tryptamine, serotonin, melatonin were determined by HPLC.
• Identity of serotonin was confirmed by 1H NMR.

Amounts of non-hallucinogenic indole compounds were determined in methanolic extracts from the fruiting bodies and biomass of Sarcodon imbricatus cultured in vitro. In both extracts there were non-hallucinogenic indole compounds present, l-tryptophan, tryptamine and serotonin. Additionally, melatonin was found also in the fruiting bodies. The total amount of indole compounds was 89.38 mg/100 g d.w. in the fruiting bodies and 8.45 mg/100 g d.w. in the cultured mycelia. The leading compound in the fruiting bodies and the mycelium was serotonin (52.02 mg/100 g d.w. and 3.03 mg/100 g d.w., respectively). This main indole compound was isolated and identified using spectral methods.