OCCURENCE OF PHALLOTOXINS IN AMERICAN COLLECTIONS OFAMANITA VIROSA

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Abstract
A thin–layer Chromatographie method usig silica Gel, Silicar–7GF in ethyl acetate-isopropyl alcohol-water-conc. ammonium hydroxide (45:35:15:5) proved suitable for the rapid detection of phalloidin and phallacidin in Amanita virosa Lam. ex Secr. extracts. This is the first time a phallotoxin was ever reported to be present in American collections of deadly Amanitas. The phalloidin spot was present in higher concentration, whereas phallacidin was relatively less. Purification of the extracts enhanced the appearance of phallotoxins several of which were masked by many impurities in the crude extract. Such impurities did not affect visualization of the amanitins because of their greater sensitivity to color reagents. This purification technique, however, eliminated β-amanitin (acidic), and much of α-amanitin (neutral). Prolonged exposure of the chromatograms to the fumes of hydrochloric acid vapor is very essential for visualization of the phallotoxins.