This document summarizes different types of mushrooms, including edible and poisonous varieties. It discusses: - The basic structure and definition of mushrooms. - Examples of edible mushrooms like Amanita caesarea and Armillaria mellea. - 8 groups of poisonous mushroom toxins and their effects, such as amatoxins in Amanita phalloides causing liver damage. - Methods for identifying poisonous mushrooms like presence of rings or staining reactions. - Recent research using amatoxins as targeted cancer therapies.

1. Dr. Prashakha J. Shukla
Assistant professor
C U Shah University
Gujarat

2. Poisonous
Mushrooms

3. Mashroom
• A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing
fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced
above ground on soil or on its food source.
• The word "mushroom" is most often applied to
those fungi (Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes)
that have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills
(lamellae, sing. lamella) or pores on the
underside of the cap
• Forms deviating from the standard morphology
usually have more specific names, such as
"puffball", "stinkhorn", and "morel

4. • Mushrooms, the plant of immortality..That’s what
ancient Egyptians believed according to the
hieroglyphics of 4600 years ago. The delicious flavor of
mushrooms intrigued the pharaohs of Egypt so much
that they decreed mushrooms were food for royalty
and that no commoner could ever touch them. This
assured themselves the entire supply of mushrooms.
In various other civilizations throughout the world,
including Russia, China, Greece, Mexico and Latin
America, mushroom rituals were practiced. Many
believed that mushrooms had properties that could
produce super-human strength, help in finding lost
objects and lead the soul to the realm of the gods.

5. Mashroom Types
• Mainly a 2 types mashrooms
• I)Edible mashrooms
• II) Poisonous Mushrooms

6. Edibility may be defined by criteria that include
absence of poisonous effects on humans and
desirable taste and aroma.
Edible mushrooms are consumed by humans as
comestibles for their nutritional value and they
are occasionally consumed for their supposed
medicinal value. Mushrooms consumed by those
practicing folk medicine are known as medicinal
mushrooms.
Edible mashrooms

7. Amanita caesareaArmillaria mellea
Chroogomphus rutilus

8. Poisonous Mushrooms
• Poisonous mushrooms contain compounds
that are toxic to humans and animals
• Mode of action well known yet generally
there are few antidotes available
• 7 major toxin groups are recognized as
poisonous and an 8th toxin group of mainly
gastrointestinal irritants
• Toxins organized into 4 major categories
based on physiological action

9. Features Useful for Identifying Poisonous Mushrooms
• Presence of an annulus (ring) on stalk
• Presence of a volva (cup) at base of stalk
• Scales on cap
• Spore color
– How to make a spore print
– Spore morphology
• Staining reactions of spores and cap

10. Structure

11. MushroomToxins
I - Amanitins (Cyclopeptides)
II - Gyromitrin (Monomethylhydrazine)
III - Orellanine
IV - Muscarine
V - Ibotenic acid and Muscimol
VI - Coprine
VII - Psilocybin (psilocin)
VIII - Gastrointestinal irritants

12. Group A: Cellular Toxins
• Deadly toxins
• Cause cellular destruction and cell death
• Liver and kidney damage
• Three toxins groups in this category
– I - Amanitins - Cyclopeptides
– II - Gyromitrin - Monomethylhydrazine
– III -Orellanine

13. Distrubution of Amanitins (Cyclopeptide Toxins)
• Amanita bisporigera,
• A. phalloides,
• A. verna,
• A. virosa
• Galerina autumnalis,
• G. marginata, etc
• Lepiota spp
• Conocybe filaris

14. Amanita virosa Amanita verna

15. Amanita phalloides

16. Galerina autumnalis Conocybe filaris

17. Amatoxins
• 8 amino acids in a ring
• Also cause cellular destruction
• First attacks GI tract, produces lesions in
stomach which cause initial symptoms -
vomiting, severe diarrhea, pain
• Toxin is then absorbed into blood and
carried to liver where most of the damage
occurs

18. Symptoms of Amatoxin Poisoning
• Within 5 to 24 hours - diarrhea, vomiting,
and pain (typically 6 to 12 hours)
• Short remission and apparent
improvement
• 4 to 11 days later
– severe liver damage
– acute kidney failure
– coma and death

19. II - Gyromitrin (Monomethylhydrazine)
• Gyromitra brunnea,
• G. caroliniana,
• G. esculenta,
• G. fastigata,
• G. infula,
• G. gigas
• Paxina spp.

20. Gyromitra gigas Gyromitra esculenta

21. Gyromitrin Poisoning
• Resembles Amanita poisoning but is less
severe.
• Latent period of 6 - 10 hours after ingestion
• Followed by sudden onset of abdominal pain,
severe headache, vomiting, and sometimes
diarrhea, pain
• The toxin primarily affects the liver with
additional disturbances to blood cells and the
central nervous system - may result in loss of
coordination, coma, convulsions

22. III - Orellanine
• Long latent period of 3 to 14 days - attacking
kidneys
• Burning thirst, excessive urination - first
symptoms
• Followed by nausea, headache, muscular pains,
chills, spasms, and loss of consciousness
• In severe cases, kidney failure may result in death
• severe inflammatory changes in the intestine
accompany the renal damage

23. Group B - Affecting Autonomic Nervous System
• These toxins affect the autonomic nervous
system which controls the involutary
regulation of smooth and cardiac muscles,
organs of the GI tract, endocrine system,
and excretory system
• Not deadly unless large quantities eaten
• Some edible and sought after
• Two toxin groups (Muscarine and
Coprine)

24. IV - Muscarine
• Inocybe species
• Clitocybe species
• Amanita muscaria and Amanita
pantherina were previously thought to
have contained primarily muscarine - but
they contain insignificant amounts

25. Muscarine Poisoning
• Characterized by increased salivation,
perspiration, and lacrimation within 15 to 30
minutes after ingestion
• With large doses, symptoms may be followed
by abdominal pain, severe nausea, diarrhea,
blurred vision, and labored breathing
• Intoxication generally subsides within 2
hours
• Deaths are rare, but may result from cardiac
or respiratory failure in severe cases

26. VI - Coprine Distribution
 Coprinus atramentarius - inky cap
 Possibly other Coprinus species
Coprinus micaceus
 Coprinus fuscescens
 Coprinus insignis
 Coprinus spp.

27. • Hot and sweaty face, becoming flushed
• Flushing spreading to the neck and chest
• Rapid, difficult breathing,
• Rapid heart rate
• Violent headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Lasts for 2 - 3 hours
Coprine Poisoning

28. Group C - Toxins Affecting the Central Nervous
System
• V - Ibotenic Acid and Muscimol
• VII - Psilocybin and Psilocin
Ibotenic acid is a chemical compound that
is naturally occurring in the mushrooms
Amanita muscaria and Amanita pantherina,
among others. Ibotenic acid is a powerful
neurotoxin that is used as a "brain-lesioning
agent"and has shown to be highly neurotoxic
when injected directly into the brains of mice
and rats.

29. Psilocybin
• Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic
compound produced by more than 200 species of
mushrooms, collectively known as psilocybin
mushrooms. The most potent are members of the genus
Psilocybe
• As a prodrug, psilocybin is quickly converted by the
body to psilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar
to those of mescaline. The effects generally include
euphoria, visual and mental hallucinations, changes in
perception, a distorted sense of time, and spiritual
experiences, and can include possible adverse reactions
such as nausea and panic attacks.

30. Group D: VIII - Gastrointestinal Irritants
• Large variety of mushrooms contain toxins
that can cause gastrointestinal distress,
including but not limited to nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps
• Some mushrooms may cause vomiting
and/or diarrhea which lasts for several
days

31. Chlorophyllum molybdites

32. Recent research
• Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center
have coupled the fungal toxin amanitin to an
antibody which recognizes a cancer-typical target
molecule. Like a guided missile, the antibody
carries its poisonous load to target cancer cells.
The poison-loaded antibody arrested the growth of
various types of cancer cells in the culture dish and
even caused the complete disappearance of
transplanted pancreatic tumors in experimental
mice.
• German Cancer Research Center - Foundation of
Public
Law | Im Neuenheimer Feld 280 | 69120 Heidelbe
rg

33. Reference
• www.wikipedia.org
• www.google.com

34. Thank you..