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.