Course Objective:
This course aims to familiarise students with the significance of mushrooms as both beneficial organisms used in nutrition and medicine (functional food) and as microorganisms capable of producing toxins harmful to human health. Students will learn about the basic morpho-anatomical features of edible mushrooms, their nutritional value, key medicinal and toxic species, the chemistry of toxic substances, poisoning syndromes, and first aid measures.
Theory Topics:
- Life strategies and ecological roles of mushrooms.
- Nutritional and medicinal properties of mushrooms (e.g., antidiabetic, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antitumor).
- Bioactive compounds in mushrooms: chemistry and activity.
- Key edible and commercially cultivated mushroom species.
- Rules for collecting and preparing edible mushrooms.
- Identification of edible and toxic species.
- Mushroom toxins: mechanisms, poisoning syndromes, and treatment (e.g., phalloidin, orellanin, gyromitrin, muscarin).
- Toxic substances in wild mushrooms (e.g., heavy metals, radioactive elements).
Practical Activities:
- Fieldwork - identification of edible and poisonous mushrooms and proper collection techniques.
- Laboratory work - species determination, conservation, preparation of tinctures and beverages, first aid procedures, and treatment for poisoning.
Number of ECTS: 5
Course syllabus with reading list (link)
Dates: The course will have an online component from 3 April till 24 April 2027, and an in-person component at the University of Novi Sad from 8 May to 9 May 2027.
Applications for this course will open in early November 2026.
Content and Methodology
Theory: Life strategies and the importance of mushrooms; Nutritional values of mushrooms; Medicinal properties of mushrooms (antidiabetic, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory; antimicrobial, antitumor). Bioactive compounds from mushrooms – chemistry and activity). The most important edible mushroom species; Mushrooms grown for commercial use; Rules for collecting mushrooms in the field and preparing edible mushrooms; Determination of fungi with special reference to edible and poisonous species; Mechanisms of toxins; False and mild mushroom poisoning; The most important poisonous fungi and poisoning syndromes: phalloidin, orellanin, gyromitrin, muscarin, pantherin, psilocybin, coprinus syndrome, paxillus syndrome, gastrointestinal syndromes; Recognition of symptoms of mushroom poisoning, first aid procedures and treatment ; Heavy metals, radioactive elements and other toxic, poisonous substances in wild growing mushrooms.
Practice: Field work - recognition of edible and poisonous mushroom species and rules of collecting edible species, laboratory work - determination of edible and poisonous mushroom species, conservation of mushrooms, preparation of beverages and tinctures, first aid procedures and treatment etc.
