Indole compounds in fruiting bodies of some selected Macromycetes species and in their mycelia cultured in vitro.

Methanol extracts of fruiting bodies of two purportedly edible species of higher fungi (Macromycetes)- Tricholoma equestre (L.: Fr.) Kumm. and Xerocomus badius (Fr.) Kühn.ex Gilb., collected from a natural environment and of biomass obtained from in vitro cultures were assayed for contents of nine indole compounds. Common indole compounds in extracts from fruiting bodies of both species were: tryptophan, tryptamine and serotonin, in mycelial extracts from in vitro cultures: tryptophan and tryptamine. Contents of the compounds investigated varied widely, from 0.182 to 2.851 mg/100g d.w. in fruiting bodies and from 0.322 to 2.096 mg/100g d.w. in biomass from in vitro cultures, respectively.