Edible, medicinal and poisonous mushrooms

Course Objective:
This course aims to familiarize 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 program (link)