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Sclerotium (genus)
A sclerotium (; : sclerotia () is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until favorable growth conditions return. Sclerotia initially were mistaken for individual organisms and described as separate species until Louis René Tulasne proved in 1853 that sclerotia are only a stage in the life cycle of some fungi. Further investigation showed that this stage appears in many fungi belonging to many diverse groups. Sclerotia are important in the understanding of the life cycle and reproduction of fungi, as a food source, as medicine (for example, ergotamine), and in agricultural blight management. Examples of fungi that form sclerotia are ergot (''Claviceps purpurea''), ''Polyporus tuberaster'', '' Psilocybe mexicana'', '' Agroathelia delphinii'' and many species in Sclerotiniaceae. Although not fungal, the plasmod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Claviceps Purpurea
''Claviceps purpurea'' is an ergot fungus that grows on the ear (botany), ears of rye and related cereal and forage plants. Consumption of Cereal, grains or seeds contaminated with the survival structure of this fungus, the ergot sclerotium, can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals. ''C. purpurea'' most commonly affects Open pollination, outcrossing species such as rye (its most common host), as well as triticale, wheat and barley. It affects oats only rarely. Life cycle An ''ergot kernel'' called ''Sclerotium clavus'' develops when a floret of flowering grass or cereal is infected by an ascospore of ''C. purpurea''. The infection process mimics a pollen grain growing into an ovary (plants), ovary during fertilization. Because infection requires access of the fungal spore to the Gynoecium, stigma, plants infected by ''C. purpurea'' are mainly outcrossing species with Anemophily, open flowers, such as rye (''Secale, Secale cereale'') and Alopecurus. The proliferating fun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleistothecium
An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body (sporocarp (fungi), sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded ascus, asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascocarps are most commonly bowl-shaped (apothecia) but may take on a spherical or flask-like form that has a pore opening to release spores (perithecia) or no opening (cleistothecia). Classification The ascocarp is classified according to its placement (in ways not fundamental to the basic Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy). It is called ''epigeous'' if it grows above ground, as with the morels, while underground ascocarps, such as truffles, are termed ''hypogeous''. The structure enclosing the hymenium is divided into the types described below (apothecium, cleistothecium, etc.) and this character ''is'' important for the taxonomic classification of the fungus. Apothecia can be relatively large and fleshy, whereas the ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Claviceps Purpurea - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-185-en
Ergot ( ) or ergot fungi refers to a group of fungus, fungi of the genus ''Claviceps''. The most prominent member of this group is ''Claviceps purpurea'' ("rye ergot fungus"). This fungus grows on rye and related plants, and produces alkaloids that can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals who consume grains contaminated with its fruiting structure (called ''ergot sclerotium''). ''Claviceps'' includes about 50 known species, mostly in the tropical regions. Economically significant species include ''C. purpurea'' (parasitic on Poaceae, grasses and cereals), ''C. fusiformis'' (on pearl millet, buffel grass), ''C. paspali'' (on dallis grass), ''C. africana'' (on sorghum) and ''C. lutea'' (on paspalum). ''C. purpurea'' most commonly affects Open pollination, outcrossing species such as rye (its most common host), as well as triticale, wheat and barley. It affects oats only rarely. ''C. purpurea'' has at least three races or varieties, which differ in their host specificity: *G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medicinal Mushrooms
Medicinal fungi are fungi that contain metabolites or can be induced to produce metabolites through biotechnology to develop prescription drugs. Compounds successfully developed into drugs or under research include those treating infection with amoeba, bacteria, fungicide, fungus, virus, inhibitors of cholesterol and ergosterol synthesis, and psychotropics. Mushroom dietary supplements, commonly made from powdered or extracted fruiting bodies or mycelium, are marketed for various health benefits but lack sufficient scientific evidence for safety or effectiveness, and quality can vary due to inconsistent processing and labeling. History In Ancient Egypt Bread in culture#In medicine, moldy bread was applied to wound infection. ''Inonotus obliquus'' was used in folk medicine tumor treatment in Russia and Northern Europe during the 16th century. Hallucinogenic mushrooms include ''Amanita muscaria'', the fly agaric and Psilocybin mushroom, "magic mushrooms", which contain psilocyb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ethnomycology
Ethnomycology is the study of the historical uses and sociological impact of fungi and can be considered a subfield of ethnobotany or ethnobiology. Although in theory the term includes fungi used for such purposes as tinder, medicine ( medicinal mushrooms) and food (including yeast), it is often used in the context of the study of psychoactive mushrooms such as psilocybin mushrooms, the ''Amanita muscaria'' mushroom, and the ergot fungus. American banker Robert Gordon Wasson pioneered interest in this field of study in the late 1950s, when he and his wife became the first Westerners on record allowed to participate in a mushroom '' velada'', held by the Mazatec '' curandera'' MarÃa Sabina. The biologist Richard Evans Schultes is also considered an ethnomycological pioneer. Later researchers in the field include Terence McKenna, Albert Hofmann, Ralph Metzner, Carl Ruck, Blaise Daniel Staples, Giorgio Samorini, Keewaydinoquay Peschel, John Marco Allegro, Clark Heinri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pleurotus Tuber-regium
''Pleurotus tuber-regium'', the king tuber mushroom, is an edible gilled fungus native to the tropics, including Africa, Asia, and Australasia. It has been shown to be a distinct species incapable of cross-breeding and phylogenetically removed from other species of ''Pleurotus''. ''Pleurotus tuber-regium'' is a saprotroph found on dead wood, including ''Daniellia'' trees in Africa. As the fungus consumes the wood, it produces a sclerotium, or storage tuber, either within the decaying wood or in the underlying soil. These sclerotia are round, dark brown with white interiors, and up to 30 cm wide. The fruiting bodies then emerge from the sclerotium. Both the sclerotium and the fruiting bodies are edible. In addition to being saprotrophic, ''P. tuber-regium'' is also nematophagous, catching nematodes by paralyzing them with a toxin. ''Pleurotus tuber-regium'' has a history of economic importance in Africa as food and as a medicinal mushroom. Industrial cultivation is not yet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis René Tulasne
Louis René Étienne Tulasne, a.k.a. Edmond Tulasne (12 September 1815 – 22 December 1885) was a French botanist and mycologist born in Azay-le-Rideau. He originally studied law at Poitiers, but his interest later turned to botany. As a young man he assisted botanist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire (1779–1853) with studies of Brazilian flora. From 1842 until 1872 he worked as a naturalist at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris. In 1854 he succeeded Adrien-Henri de Jussieu (1797–1853) as a member of the Académie des sciences. He died in Hyères on 22 December 1885, age 70. Tulasne's specialized study was the science of mycology. His microscopic investigation of fungi, particularly parasitic species, contributed much to the understanding on the complexities of their nature and development. He is credited with introducing the concept of " pleomorphy" in regard to fungi. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edema
Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin that feels tight, the area feeling heavy, and joint stiffness. Other symptoms depend on the underlying cause. Causes may include Chronic venous insufficiency, venous insufficiency, heart failure, kidney problems, hypoalbuminemia, low protein levels, liver problems, deep vein thrombosis, infections, kwashiorkor, angioedema, certain medications, and lymphedema. It may also occur in immobile patients (stroke, spinal cord injury, aging), or with temporary immobility such as prolonged sitting or standing, and during menstruation or pregnancy. The condition is more concerning if it starts suddenly, or pain or shortness of breath is present. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. If the underlying mechanism involve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alkaloids
Alkaloids are a broad class of naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. They can be purified from crude extracts of these organisms by acid-base extraction, or solvent extractions followed by silica-gel column chromatography. Alkaloids have a wide range of pharmacological activities including antimalarial (e.g. quinine), antiasthma (e.g. ephedrine), anticancer (e.g. homoharringtonine), cholinomimetic (e.g. galantamine), vasodilatory (e.g. vincamine), antiarrhythmic (e.g. quinidine), analgesic (e.g. morphine), antibacterial (e.g. chelerythrine), and antihyperglycemic activities (e.g. berberine). Many have found use in traditional or modern medicine, or as starting points for drug discovery. Other alkaloids possess psychotropic (e.g. psilocin) and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ergotism
Ergotism (pron. ) is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, traditionally due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the '' Claviceps purpurea'' fungus—from the Latin "club" or clavus "nail" and for "head", i.e. the purple club-headed fungus—that infects rye and other cereals, and more recently by the action of a number of ergoline-based drugs. It is also known as ergotoxicosis, ergot poisoning, and Saint Anthony's fire. Signs and symptoms Ergotism is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning. The symptoms can be roughly divided into convulsive symptoms and gangrenous symptoms. Ergot alkaloids, the active compounds produced by the ergot fungus, can cause severe vasoconstriction, leading to symptoms like gangrene and convulsions. Additionally, ergot alkaloids can mimic neurotransmitters and hormones in the human body, causing hallucinations and affecting hormonal balance. Chronic exposure to ergot alkaloids has been linked to reproductive issues, such as spon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. Population decline, counterurbanisation, the collapse of centralised authority, invasions, and mass migrations of tribes, which had begun in late antiquity, continued into the Early Middle Ages. The large-scale movements of the Migration Period, including various Germanic peoples, formed new kingdoms in what remained of the Western Roman Empire. In the 7th century, North Africa and the Middle East—once part of the Byzantine Empireâ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edmond Tulasne
Louis René Étienne Tulasne, a.k.a. Edmond Tulasne (12 September 1815 – 22 December 1885) was a French botanist and mycologist born in Azay-le-Rideau. He originally studied law at Poitiers, but his interest later turned to botany. As a young man he assisted botanist Augustin François César Prouvençal de Saint-Hilaire, Auguste de Saint-Hilaire (1779–1853) with studies of Brazilian flora. From 1842 until 1872 he worked as a Natural history, naturalist at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris. In 1854 he succeeded Adrien-Henri de Jussieu (1797–1853) as a member of the Académie des sciences. He died in Hyères on 22 December 1885, age 70. Tulasne's specialized study was the science of mycology. His microscopic investigation of fungi, particularly parasitic species, contributed much to the understanding on the complexities of their nature and development. He is credited with introducing the concept of "pleomorphism (microbiology), pleomorphy" in regard to fun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
