β-amanitin is a Cyclic peptide comprising eight amino acids. It is part of a group of toxins called amatoxins, which can be found in several mushrooms belonging to the Amanita genus. Some examples are the Death cap (Amanita phalloides) and the Destroying angel, as well as other fungi like the A. virosa and A. bisporigera. Due to the presence of α-amanitin, β-amanitin, γ-amanitin and ε-amanitin these mushrooms are highly lethal to human beings. The lethal dose of amanitoxins is 0.1 mg/kg of body weight of humans. The average Amanita mushroom contains 3–5 mg of amanitoxins, so one 40-50 g mushroom could kill an average adult. β-amanitin is able to travel through the bloodstream to reach the organs in the body. While it damages all organs, damage to the liver and heart result in fatalities. At the molecular level amanitin toxins cause damage to cells of these organs.
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