The Use Of Mycology As A Tool To Investigate And Identify Fungi Collected In Algeria And Highlight Their Toxins

Résumé: This study explores the potential contributions of mycology to forensic science and criminal investigations, with a focus on toxicology and psychoactive compounds. A collection of 28 macromycete species was assembled, including 12 freshly collected from three peri-urban forests in Algiers. The collection comprises 13 known toxic species, two lethal species, and one hallucinogenic species. The identification was based on morphological and microscopic characteristics. This work provides a foundational resource for understanding toxic and psychoactive fungi in forensic contexts. The Meixner test was utilized for detecting amatoxins, and the Weber test was applied to identify psilocybin/psilocin in Gymnopilus junonius. Then Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed as a robust technique to analyze the constituents of Gymnopilus junonius, focusing on the reliable identification of psilocybin.

Publié dans la revue: Algerian Journal of Forensic Sciences and Criminology