Investigations into Amanita ovoidea (Bull.) Link.: Edible or Poisonous?

Marco Biagi, Lisa Martelli, Claudia Perini, Luigi Di Lella, Elisabetta Miraldi

Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Sez. Biologia Farmaceutica, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy.
Dipartimento Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/nr.2014.56021                

Abstract

It is widely known that the genus Amanita includes various taxa: edible and inedible, dangerous and sometimes even deadly species. Despite the number of studies carried out on this genus, the toxicity of some species, such as the group of white fungi, remains dubious. Hence Amanita ovoidea (Bull.) Link. is considered as edible and even tasty both popularly and in some scientific publications, and as poisonous in others, having caused various cases of poisoning. This study stems from a case of poisoning by A. ovoidea in Siena (Italy). Tests were performed with the aim of finding a scientific answer regarding the real edibility or inedibility of A. ovoidea. Analyses included phytochemical screening, toxicological tests on human ex vivo peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and measurements of soil and mushroom pollution by heavy metals.

Keywords

Amanita ovoidea, Chemical Composition, Cell Viability, Heavy Metals, Italy

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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