Is it true that there are forest mushrooms are dangerous due to a cadaveric poison accumulating in them?

There is a common fear that in mushrooms that grew up in the wild, a cadaveric poison accumulates from animal bodies decomposing in the forest. We figured out how reasonable it is.

The fact that forest mushrooms are dangerous due to the cadaveric poison contained in them, citing scientists and doctors regularly write Russian Federal And Regional Media, Russian -speaking publications from others countries, Bloggers And female magazines. There are similar materials on sites profile state institutions. Often the authors of these publications The mushrooms are called a “natural vacuum cleaner”, literally stretching the most diverse substances from the soil. In other articles, on the contrary, It is saidthat the cadaveric poison does not accumulate in the mushrooms, but is formed in them after the collection, so they must be eaten on the first day.

Cadaveric poison is outdated (but still used in everyday life) the collective name of the substances that are distinguished as a result of putrefactive processes. A more correct term - Ptomaines (from the Greek. Ptoma - “corpse”). During decay, cadaverine and Putresocine, as well as spermin, sperm, histamine, thyramine, beta-phenylethylamine and neurin, are released primarily.

The decomposition process begins in the first minutes after death. In this case, the cadaveric changes are usually divided into early and later. Early includes drying, cooling, frozen and the appearance of cadaveric spots. In parallel with these visible processes, cellular autolysis begins, that is, self -expansion of dead cells, and it is in the process of autolysis that ptomaines begin to be carried out. Three hours after the death of a person in brain tissue Present Cadaverine and Putrespin, however, their concentrations are low and third -party observer will not feel a characteristic rotten smell. After two or three days Arrives The phase of late cadaveric changes (however, depending on the environmental factors, this can happen both before and later). The body is swollen due to accumulation in the tissues of putrefactive gases (microorganisms emit them-primarily in the intestines of the corpse), the color of the skin changes, a characteristic smell appears. During active decomposition, the corpse is colonized by insects that contribute to the destruction of soft tissues. Then comes the skeleton phase, which consists in the breakdown of the corpse into separate bones.

Depending on the surrounding conditions, the phase of rotting may not occur or be short. So, dry and warm air in combination with good ventilation Promotes natural mummification. The corpses located in peat soil can be exposed to peat tuning, thanks to which the so -called so -called to this day Swamp people - The human remains that were found in swamps in the north of Europe and in which the skin and internal organs are well preserved. With high humidity and absence of oxygen (for example, when buried in wet clay soils), decay processes quickly stop, and tissues and organs are impregnated with water. As a result, it is formed Zhirovosk And the body is washed.

The vast majority of biogenic amines distinguished during putrefactive processes are normally present in the body of a healthy person, and are also found in animal and even plant products. Although many Ptomaines are really poisonous, their toxicity is extremely low.

So, cadaverine (as well as Putrerescin, sperm and spermin) Formed In the process of digestion, thanks to the work of microbiota. These amines contribute to the protection of intestinal cells, improve metabolism and start mitophagy - the process of removing damaged mitochondria from cells. Scientists discoveredthat the addition of spermine to drinking water for mice increased their life expectancy due to more effective protection of cells from oxidation. It is noteworthy that in breast milk of mothers who gave birth to children ahead of time, Contained More biogenic amins than in milk those who gave birth to a child on time. These substances contribute to the maturation and development of intestinal cells of a premature child. However, scientists do not yet understand exactly how the mother’s body changes the content of amines in breast milk, depending on the deadline for the completion of pregnancy.

Histamine is mediator Allergic reactions of an immediate type. Normally, this substance is in the body mainly in a bound state, and its release can occur due to injuries (burns, frostbite), allergic reactions or some substances entering the body. Subcutaneous administration of histamine is used for allergest tests, intravenous - in quality experimental therapy of incurable headaches, intradermal - to relieve pain in joint diseases and connective tissue (for the same purpose can Applied ointments with histamine). When taking inside, histamine is almost not absorbed and does not provide No toxic Actions on the body.

Tiramin is not only produced in the process of digestion, but also Contained, for example, in Parmesan, Camamber and other sustained cheeses (the name of this Amina is no coincidence from the Greek τυρός - “cheese”). A significant amount of this substance is found in smoked and dried meat, as well as in products undergoing pickling or fermentation. The main danger of tyrammine is not toxicity, but the ability to provoke migraines, so doctors advise patients suffering from headaches.

Beta-pheniletylamine There is In chocolate, beans, soy, lentils, almonds, arahis, beef and shrimp, and the period of half -life of this substance in the human body It is Only 5-10 min. In laboratory conditions, you can get a more stable form of this amine - it has a psychedelic and stimulating effect, which is similar to what is observed when taking amphetamine.

Neurin is the only ptomain that does not accept participation in the normal life of animal organisms is carried out only as a result of decomposition.

The listed amines have low toxicity during oral administration, it is very difficult to poison them unintentionally. For ethical considerations, researchers calculate lethal doses only in animal experiments. It turned out that the minimum dose (LDlo) of the cadaverine, which led to the death of the experimental mouse during the oral technique, Compiled 1600 mg per 1 kg of weight. For Putresecin, this indicator identical. For spermine And spermidine Scientists calculated the amount of substance that can lead to death if it receives it in a certain dosage for 30 days (LD30) - it amounted to 650 mg/kg and more than 1 g/kg, respectively, that is, an adult to manifest the negative reaction will require several dozen grams of pure substance. The toxicity of the neurin higher - 90 mg/kg (LDLO) when conducting an experiment on rabbits (or 5.4 g for a person weighing 60 kg). Histamine, as mentioned above, is almost not absorbed during the oral administration, Tiramin in the same situation Not toxic, and beta-phenylethylamine is very quickly disintegrated in the digestive tract.

It is impossible to accidentally eat several dozen grams of pure ptomaines with food. For Comparisons, in 1 kg of surprise, a traditional Swedish dish from a fermented herring, contains up to 80 mg of histamine (there are no data on other biological amines in its composition). At the same time, the smell of the delicacy is such that few dare to just try it, not to mention to eat a large portion at a time.

As for forest mushrooms, one can imagine two possible situations that cause a common fear of cadaveric poison. In the first, the mushroom picked “prey” near the decaying corpse of the animal - it seems unlikely that a person in such a situation will not disdain and break the mushroom. If the corpse is outside the visibility zone, a characteristic smell will indicate about its existence for a rather long time. To be afraid that the mushroom has grown in the place where the body of the animal has long decomposed and therefore the soil is contaminated, while it is not worth it. When the corpse completely buried, only individual molecules of substances, such as nitrogen, fall into the soil. They are no different from those who have fallen into the ground from last year's grass. 

Mushrooms themselves participate In the process of decomposition of bodies, but we are not talking about those species that are eaten. First of all, these are mold mushrooms (for example, aspergillus, Penicillium, Candida and Mucor), which can be seen, among other things, on spoiled (that is, those who began to rot) products.

Although in English sources exists The term "ptomain poisoning", it has nothing to do with the cadaveric poison. This is the name of the infection of salmonella, leaferia, intestinal stick, Clostridium Botulinum (causative agent of botulism) and campilobacteria. All of them are completely can To be on mushrooms - both forest and store. Cases of infection with leaferia through fresh noki, staphylococcus through industrialized mushrooms, salmonella through dried, are described. You can avoid the ingress of these bacteria into the body using prolonged heat treatment, but the responsibility for the safety of mushrooms on the shop window is completely on the manufacturer. 

Thus, the fear of a cadaveric poison accumulating in forest mushrooms is baseless. At the dead animals themselves, edible mushrooms will not grow, only molds participate in the decomposition process. It is unlikely that it will be possible to accidentally collect a mushroom growing right near the corpse - the decomposition is accompanied by a characteristic smell. After the completion of the process of decomposition into the soil, on which the mushroom can then grow, molecules that previously constituted a living organism can reach, but from the point of view of danger to humans, they will not differ from those that were in the soil from last year's grass. Although the ptomaine distinguished by animals for the most part is toxic, it is impossible to get a dangerous dose with food. It is much more dangerous to infect mushrooms by bacteria, but it can occur both in home and industrial conditions.

Image on the cover: Image by Barbroforsberg from Pixabay

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