Agaricus subrufescens (syn. Agaricus blazei, A. brasiliensis or A. rufotegulis) is a species of fungus, commonly known as the almond mushroom. It is edible for most people, with a somewhat sweet taste and a fragrance of almonds.

Taxonomy

Agaricus subrufescens was first described by the American botanist Charles Horton Peck in 1893. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was cultivated for the table in the eastern United States. It was discovered again in Brazil during the 1970s, and misidentified as Agaricus blazei Murrill, a species originally described from Florida. It was soon marketed for its purported medicinal properties under various names, including ABM (for Agaricus blazei Murrill), cogumelo do sol (mushroom of the sun), cogumelo de Deus (mushroom of God), cogumelo de vida (mushroom of life), himematsutake, royal sun agaricus, Mandelpilz, and almond mushroom.

In 2002, Didukh and Wasser correctly rejected the name A. blazei for this species, but called the Brazilian fungus A. brasiliensis, a name that had already been used for a different species, Agaricus brasiliensis Fr. (1830). Richard Kerrigan undertook genetic and interfertility testing on several fungal strains, The color of the cap may range from white to grayish or dull reddish brown; it stains yellow in KOH.

Similar species

It resembles some related species, including A. hondensis. Originally described from the northeastern U.S. and Canada, it has been found growing in California, Hawaii, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Iran, Australia, Brazil,

Toxicity

Preliminary research indicates Agaricus products may have toxic effects on liver function marked by increased serum level of liver enzymes, especially in people with ovarian cancer, and may cause allergic reactions.

  • Animal Studies on Alcohol and CCl4-Induced Liver Injury: Experimental models in rats demonstrated that ABM extract has protective and antioxidant effects against liver injury caused by alcohol and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). These studies reported normalization of liver enzymes, increased antioxidant levels (GSH, vitamins C and E), and reduced lipid peroxidation, without evidence of liver toxicity.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to companies marketing Agaricus supplement products with unproven health claims of suggesting disease treatment or prevention, but these actions were based on regulatory compliance and not on evidence of toxicity.

thumb|Dried jisongrong being sold in [[Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong]]

Uses

The mushroom is edible for most people,

Used in traditional and alternative medicine for its supposed anti-cancer effects, Agaricus mushrooms have not been assessed by sufficient high-quality clinical research to define safety and biological properties upon consumption as a food, dietary supplement, or drug.

See also

  • List of Agaricus species

References

Footnotes

Citations