NCJ Number
226293
Journal
Forensic Magazine Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: February/March 2009 Pages: 14,16,17
Date Published
February 2009
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the structural diversity of the eight categories of poison mushrooms and the clinical symptoms associated with the consumption of mushrooms from each of these categories, along with the challenges associated with identifying mushroom poisoning.
Abstract
Mycotoxins can be classified according to their structure and respective clinical symptoms. Of the eight categories, the cyclopeptides are the most notorious toxins. Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap mushroom, accounts for over 90 percent of all mushroom fatalities. The principal toxin is the thermo-stable, bicyclic octapeptide alpha-amanitine. The ingestion of one death cap mushroom can cause liver failure and death in an adult. The other categories of mycotoxins are rarely fatal, but most of them cause either predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms, hallucinations, or cholinergic symptoms. Most of these symptoms present much earlier (usually within 3 hours) compared to cyclopeptide toxins and last for a shorter period (up to 3 days after ingestion). In most cases, initial treatment is based on symptom presentation and the identification of the mushroom by a mycologist; however, subsequent identification of a specific mycotoxin in biological fluids is crucial for determining the degree of exposure and severity. Although mortality is low for most mushroom ingestion, delayed treatment might lead to chronic organ impairment, especially for the kidneys and the liver. Fast and simple methods for the qualitative and quantitative identification of mycotoxins in biosocial samples are needed. New techniques include dipsticks, infrared spectroscopy, or biosensors such as surface acoustic wave sensors. 2 figures and 12 references