Wikipedia: Agaritine


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Agaritine (AGT) is an aromatic, antiviral,[1] hydrazine-derivative mycotoxin and IARC Group 3 carcinogen that occurs in mushroom species of the genus Agaricus.[2][3][4]

Studies have found significant (>1000 mg/kg) agaritine levels in fresh samples of at least 24 species of the genera Agaricus, Leucoagaricus, and Macrolepiota.[3] Mushrooms of these species are found around the world. They typically fruit from late spring through autumn, and are particularly prevalent in association with feces.[5] These mushrooms grow in a wide range of habitats; indeed, one species alone, Agaricus bisporus, is cultivated in over 70 countries and on every continent except Antarctica.[6] A. bisporus, also known as the common button mushroom, is of particular socio-economic importance because of both its prevalence in traditional cultural recipes and its booming cultivation industry in modernized countries.[6]
Agaritine content varies between individual mushrooms and across species.[3] Agaritine content (% fresh weight) in raw Agaricus bisporus, for example, ranges from 0.033% to 0.173%, with an average of 0.088%.[7] The highest amount of agaritine is found in the cap and gills of the fruiting body, and the lowest in the stem.[8] Agaritine oxidizes rapidly upon storage, however, and is totally degraded after 48 hours in aqueous solution with exposure to air.[9] It has also been shown to decompose readily upon cooking (up to 90% reduction) as well as upon freezing (up to 75% reduction).[10]

Agaritine has been shown to induce adenomas and adenocarcinomas in the lungs of mice when administered through drinking water.[11] It has also been shown to cause bladder cancer in mice.[2]
Agaritine has been claimed to be a weak carcinogen, with an estimate for cumulative lifetime risk from mushroom consumption at approximately 1 in 10,000.[12] However, this claim is poorly supported, with little available data about toxicity and no published LD50.[13]