Distribution of amanitine-containing macromycetes in the territory of Russia

Abstract

Introduction. The toxic effect of amanitin-containing macromycetes, or phalloidin syndrome, is accompanied by low patient survival and it remains as one of the leading causes of urgent liver transplantation. As a result, the problems of biodiversity and the distribution of amanitin-containing fungi leading to this condition appear in a relevant light for toxicology. Materials and methods. The study was carried out in two stages. At the first stage, a preliminary list of amanitin-containing macromycetes was compiled by means of a system search in the PubMed database. At the second stage of the study, the presence and occurrence of amanitin-containing taxa in Russia were analyzed. Results. Based on the literature sources and data of the Laboratory of Geography and Systematics of Fungi of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, maps of the administrative-territorial occurrences in Russia of twenty-one species of amanitin-containing macromycetes were compiled: five of Amanita, one of Galerina and fifteen of Lepiota. The species concepts of some poisonous taxa and their key identification features were reviewed. The debatable ideas about the toxicity of two Conocybe species are highlighted. Limitations. The study takes into account only the specific occurrence of poisonous fungi in various territories of Russia, without considering the density and frequency of their growth, which may make it difficult to assess the relationship between the data presented and the likelihood of poisoning by the species in question in individual administrative units. Conclusion. As a result of the study, the boundaries of the distribution of poisonous fly agaric and Galerina species were identified, as well as the territories with the highest registered diversity of Lepiota: the Moscow Region and the Primorsky Territory.