Partial purification and characterization of a toxic component of Amanita smithiana

Abstract

Poisonings attributed to Amanita smithiana are characterized by a gastrointestinal and a striking renal phase. Therefore, this species was suspected to contain a toxin related to the nephrotoxin orellanine, the main toxin from Cortinarius orellanus and Cortinarius orellanoides. In the studies presented, no orellanine was detectable, but a toxin with chemical properties of an amino sugar could be isolated. It differs from orellanine by its ultraviolet light stability and a shorter latency period. Experiments comparing the reactions of three different renal epithelial cell lines showed that all were affected by orellanine, whereas the toxin extracted from A. smithiana proved to be ineffective towards one of the three cell lines used, even when a longer incubation time and higher toxin concentrations were tested.

Key Words:

• Amanita smithiana
• cell culture
• Cortinarius orellanus
• orellanine
• toxic amino acids
• toxicology