Formation of methylhydrazine from acetaldehyde N-methyl-N-formylhydrazone, a component of Gyromitra esculenta.

Gyromitrin, acetaldehyde N-methyl-N-formylhydrazone, is a toxin present in edible wild mushroom Gyromitra esculenta. At 37 degrees under different acidic conditions (pH 1 to 3), mimicking the milieu of human stomach, gyromitrin is converted to methylhydrazine, a known tumor inducer in mice and hamsters, through an intermediate, N-methyl-N-formylhydrazine. In addition, methylhydrazine is formed in the mouse stomach after p.o. administration of gyromitrin. These findings imply that consumption of G. esculenta could present a carcinogenic, as well as an acutely toxic, health hazard.