Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)-Based Method for Rapid Mushroom Species Identification

Toxic mushroom species, such as the death cap (Amanita phalloides), are responsible for most mushroom poisonings. In the present work, novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays were used for the differentiation of even closely related edible and toxic mushroom species. The applicability of these methods was tested by cross-reaction studies and analysis of spiked mushroom samples (raw and fried material). Contaminations at the level of 2% (w/w) could be detected in different mushroom blends. Three detection methods were used: agarose gel analysis, fluorimetric real-time detection, and visual detection by lateral flow dipsticks (LFD). The LAMP assay combined with LFD detection allows the identification of A phalloides in about 2 h (including DNA extraction) at a very low level of technical equipment (micropestle, water bath, and mobile centrifuge), which makes this technique perfectly suited for on-site applications.