Illudin

The illudins are a family of sesquiterpenes with antitumor antibiotic properties produced by some mushrooms. In their isolated form, illudins show selective toxicity for myelocytic leukemia and other carcinoma cells. [cite journal | title = Structure-activity relationship of illudins : analogs with improved therapeutic index | author = McMorris TC, Kelner MJ, Wen Wang, Estes LA, Montoya MA, Taetle R | year = 1992 | journal = Journal of Organic Chemistry | volume = 57 | issue = 25 | pages = 6876–83 | doi = 10.1021/jo00051a037]

Illudin is highly toxic, with little apparent therapeutic value in its natural form. It is thought responsible for the ill effects caused by various "Omphalotus" species like "O. olearius" (jack o'lantern mushroom) and "O. nidiformis" (Australian ghost fungus).

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