Mushroom poisoning of Panaeolus subbalteatus from Ningxia, northwest China, with species identification and tryptamine detection.
Yi Yao, Yi-Zhe Zhang, Jia-Qi Liang, Feng Liu, Zhong-Feng Li, Hai-Jiao Li, Fei Xu
Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology August 28, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107849 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTwo mushroom poisoning incidents in Ningxia, China, were traced to Panaeolus subbalteatus mushrooms. Symptoms appeared about half an hour after eating large amounts, including nausea, vomiting, numbness, dizziness, and disorientation. The mushrooms were identified by morphology and DNA analysis. Psilocybin and psilocin were found in the mushrooms, averaging 1532.2-1760.7 mg/kg and 114.5-136.0 mg/kg respectively. Only psilocin was detected in patients' blood and urine, at average concentrations of 0.5-1.2 ng/mL and 2.5-3.1 ng/mL. These findings can help manage future poisonings.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case series Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Patients involved in two Panaeolus subbalteatus poisoning incidents in Ningxia, China |
| Keywords | Panaeolus subbalteatus Poisonous mushrooms Tryptamines Mushroom toxicology Psychedelic compounds |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Psilocybin and psilocin were identified in Panaeolus subbalteatus mushrooms, and psilocin alone was detected in patients' blood and urine following ingestion. |
Abstract
Mushroom poisoning is a significant contributor to foodborne disease outbreaks in China. This study focuses on two Panaeolus subbalteatus poisoning incidents accompanied by epidemiological investigations, species identification, and toxin detection in Ningxia, northwest China. In these two poisoning incidents, some patients exhibited gastrointestinal or neurological symptoms approximately 0.5 h after ingestion of a large amount of wild mushroom. Specifically, in Case 1, one of the three patients experienced nausea, vomiting, and numbness in the throat and limbs; in Case 2, one patient reported dizziness and an abnormal sense of direction. Through morphological and phylogenetic analyses, mushroom specimens were identified as P. subbalteatus. Psilocybin and psilocin were detected in mushroom samples, and only psilocin was detected in biological samples by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry screening. The average psilocybin and psilocin contents in mushroom samples were 1532.2-1760.7 and 114.5-136.0 mg/kg (n = 3), respectively. Moreover, only psilocin was detected in blood and urine samples, with average concentrations 0.5-1.2 ng/mL (n = 3) and 2.5-3.1 ng/mL (n = 3), respectively. These findings provide technical support for managing similar incidents in the future.