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ABSTRACT
Monomethylhydrazine (MMH), a toxic constituent of Gyromitra esculenta, has been titrated according to the harvest site, the lapse time prior to analysis, and the different ways of preservation of the ascocarps. Thus, Gyromitras collected at a middle attitude are richer in MMH than those collected at high altitude. Desiccation for more than one month at room temperature yields the lowest amounts of MMH. A prolonged desiccation resulted in the MMH proportion stabilizing around values which correspond with a stable and non-volatile combination of the hydrazine in the fruit body. Freezing and then thawing activate the liberation of MMH. Moreover, this hydrazine has been identified for the first time in other Helvellaceae and in Geoglossaceae.