Study about poison oak rash

Posted 6 months ago at 5:00 pm. 0 comments

The itching and scratching of poison oak is caused by urushiol oil, excreted by both the oak and its cousins poison ivy and poison sumac. A recent editorial in Mushroom The Journal (Winter 1994-95) discussed a mycological cure for poison oak rash by rubbing fungi such as Boletus and Polyporus on the affected skin. This treatment is based on the fact that freshly cut pieces of mushrooms, apples and potatoes turn dark when exposed to the air. The actual mechanism for this blackening process involves the oxidation of phenolic compounds in the tissues of these pieces by the enzyme tyrosinase. The resulting quinones rapidly polymerize into a brown residue. Placing the pieces under water prevents this “unsightly” oxidation.