Actual Concepts of Higher Fungi’s Toxins: Simple Nitrogen-Containing Compounds

Abstract

Higher fungi represent a group of living organisms that remain poorly studied in terms of mycology and biochemistry. Among their secondary metabolites, toxic compounds are of particular interest, since they may be an etiological factor causing acute food intoxications, i.e., mycetismi. This review summarizes the information on the fungal species distributed in Russia and the toxicological properties of some of them as producers of simple nitrogen-containing compounds. The role of individual substances in toxidromes is discussed. The article considers a number of minor components that may have insignificant individual effects due to their low concentrations but may make a significant contribution to the modification of the toxic effect caused by a primary compound. A summary of data on new syndromes associated with toxins of higher fungi is presented. It was concluded that the combined effects of toxins can play an important role in intoxication with nitrogen-containing compounds.