Abstract
Amanita muscaria is the most emblematic mushroom in the popular representation. It is an ectomycorrhizal fungus endemic to the cold ecosystems of the northern hemisphere. The basidiocarp contains isoxazoles compounds that have specific actions on the central nervous system, including hallucinations. For this reason, it is considered an important entheogenic mushroom in different cultures whose remnants are still visible in some modern-day European traditions. In Siberian civilizations, it has been consumed for religious and recreational purposes for millennia, as it was the only inebriant in this region.
Highlights
A. muscaria contains isoxazoles compounds, mainly ibotenic acid and muscimol, but some derivatives have been reported, such as muscazone, which is a product of ibotenic acid breakdown by UV radiation; it has a minor pharmacological activity compared with the other agents [41]
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, the famous French naturalist who gave the actual scientific name to A. muscaria, wrote in 1815 that this mushroom is remarkable for its beauty
When walking in the woods, the powerful red color standing out in the green surroundings can only subjugate the walker. In addition to these incredible visual features, the fly agaric has a unique chemical composition, with isoxazoles, such as ibotenic acid and muscimol, whose psychoactive effects have been used for millennia and that still have not revealed all their potential concerning pharmaceutical applications
Summary
Thanks to its peculiar red cap with white spots, Amanita muscaria (L.) Lam. is the most iconic mushroom in modern-day popular culture. Its vernacular names are fly agaric and fly amanita. In Japan, the mushroom is dried, soaked in brine for 12 weeks, and rinsed in successive washings before being eaten [2]. The fascination emanating from this mushroom is not recent or limited to culinary purposes; its consumption by humans dates back thousands of years, shaping religious and spiritual beliefs, notably in Neolithic Siberian societies. The symbolical appeal exerted by the fly agaric on our collective imagination is found in numerous representations, myths, and legends. This chapter introduces various aspects of A. muscaria, dealing with its ecology, its chemical composition and pharmaceutical characteristics, and features of ethnomycology
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