Chemistry
The compound thought to be responsible for the toxicity of raw L. torminosus is the pungent-tasting velleral present at a concentration of 0.16 mg/g mushroom. Velleral is a breakdown product of stearyl-velutinal. Broken lactifers—specialized hyphal cells that produce the mushroom's latex—leak the precursor chemicals whose breakdown products act as the defensive agents toxic to humans, effectively deterring certain vertebrates that might consume the mushroom. The lactarane-type sesquiterpene lactone 15-hydroxyblennin A is one of several sesquiterpenes produced by the species. Other lactaranes are found in various Lactarius species, such as blennin A in L. deliciosus and L. blennius, and lactarorufin N in Lactarius rufus. Fungal sesquiterpenes are commonly produced as toxins to defend against predation, and as a result some have chemical properties that may have applications in medicinal chemistry.
Fruit bodies of Lactarius torminosus contain a number of sterols, of which ergosterol (a component of fungal cell walls) is the most predominant at 60.5% of all sterols, followed by its derivatives and ergosta-5/7-dien-3-ol (17.0%), ergost-7-en-3-ol (13.7%) and ergosta-7-22-dien-3-ol (8.3%). Researchers have identified 28 volatile compounds that contribute to the odor of the mushroom. Many of these are alcohols and carbonyl compounds with eight carbon atoms; the predominant volatile compound (about 90%) is 1-octen-3-one, an odorant common in mushrooms.
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