MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Five new species of Inosperma from China: Morphological characteristics, phylogenetic analyses, and toxin detection

Summary

Researchers in China identified five new species of poisonous mushrooms called Inosperma and tested them for dangerous toxins. They used advanced laboratory methods to detect four types of neurotoxins that can cause serious health problems when people eat these mushrooms. Each species contained different combinations of toxins, with some containing none and others containing one or more toxic compounds that affect the nervous system.

Background

Inosperma species are known to cause neurotoxic poisoning in humans following consumption worldwide. However, the identity of toxic Inosperma species and their specific toxin contents remain unclear. This study aimed to characterize five new Inosperma species from China and determine their neurotoxin profiles.

Objective

To propose five new Inosperma species from China based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses, and to screen these species for the presence of four major mushroom neurotoxins using advanced analytical methods.

Results

Five new Inosperma species were identified: I. longisporum, I. nivalellum, I. sphaerobulbosum, I. squamulosobrunneum, and I. squamulosohinnuleum. Neurotoxin profiling revealed variable toxin content: I. sphaerobulbosum contained no tested neurotoxins, I. nivalellum was muscarine-positive, I. longisporum and I. squamulosohinnuleum contained both ibotenic acid and muscimol, and I. squamulosobrunneum contained only muscimol. Psilocybin was not detected in any species.

Conclusion

This study reports the first detection of ibotenic acid and muscimol in Inosperma species and provides crucial toxin content data for prevention and clinical treatment of potential poisoning incidents. A comprehensive taxonomic key to 17 Inosperma species in China has been provided.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Descriptive Study, Taxonomic Study,
  • Source: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1021583, PMID: 36386664
Scroll to Top