The Yellow Knight Fights Back: Toxicological, Epidemiological, and Survey Studies Defend Edibility of <i>Tricholoma equestre</i>
Rhabdomyolysis, a condition associated with the consumption of Yellow Knight mushrooms (<i>Tricholoma equestre</i>), was first reported in 2001. In response, some countries began to consider the mushroom as poisonous, whereas in others it is still consumed. In the present study, a nation...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Toxins |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/11/468 |
| Summary: | Rhabdomyolysis, a condition associated with the consumption of Yellow Knight mushrooms (<i>Tricholoma equestre</i>), was first reported in 2001. In response, some countries began to consider the mushroom as poisonous, whereas in others it is still consumed. In the present study, a nationwide survey of Polish mushroom foragers (<i>n</i> = 1545) was conducted to estimate the frequency of <i>T. equestre</i> consumption. The epidemiological database on mushroom poisonings in Poland was analyzed from the year 2008. Hematological and biochemical parameters were followed for a week in 10 volunteers consuming 300 g of molecularly identified <i>T. equestre</i>. More than half the foragers had consumed <i>T. equestre</i> at least once in their lifetime and a quarter had consumed it consecutively. The frequency of adverse events was low and no rhabdomyolysis was reported. The toxicological database indicated that mushrooms from the <i>Tricholoma</i> genus caused poisonings less frequently than mushrooms with well-established edibility and not a single case of rhabdomyolysis has been reported within the last decade. The volunteers consuming <i>T. equestre</i> revealed no hematological or biochemical alterations and no adverse effects were observed. The findings of this study support the view that <i>T. equestre</i> is edible if consumed in rational amounts by healthy subjects. |
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| ISSN: | 2072-6651 |