Restinga Paralela = Parallel Restinga

effects of these compounds when applied or used on other
groups of organisms.

Finally, there are infinite utilities and applications of
fungi or the products produced by them. Examples of this can
be considered as the result of empirical information, system-
atized investigations and a lot of research, culminating in the
discovery of numerous applications such as:

Penicillin, which was the first natural antibiotic used by
man, is produced by some species of fungi of the genus Peni-
cillium and was discovered by Alexander Fleming, available as
a drug since 1941;

Ergotamine, used as vasoconstrictor is a medicine pro-
duced by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, as well as lysergic
acid diethylamide (LSD), one of the most potent hallucinogenic
substances currently known;

Aflatoxin, a mycotoxin produced by the fungus Asper-
gillus flavus and other species of the genus Aspergillus, gen-
erally found in agricultural products, has been described to
exhibit immunosuppressive, mutagenic, teratogenic and he-
patocarcinogenic activities;

Fungi of the genus Penicillium are used in the cheese
making for human consumption, such as Penicillium roquefor-
ti, in blue cheeses (Roquefort) and Penicillium camemberti, in
soft cheeses (Camembert);

The numerous species of edible mushrooms are widely
used in cooking and medicine, among them, the best known
in Brazil are: Champignon (Agaricus bisporus); the Shiitake,
(Lentinula edodes); the Shimeji or Hiratake (Pleurotus ost-
reatus); the salmon and white Pleurotus (Pleurotus ostreatus
roseus and Pleurotus sajor-cajuI); the Oudemansiella canar-
ii; and the mushroom of the sun (Agaricus blasei). Numerous
species are also often used as hallucinogens (magic mush-
rooms).

Yeasts, fungi differentiated by their less filamentous
and yeast-like growth, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
among many species, can be used as baker's yeast in the pro-
duction of foods such as bread, cakes, beer, whiskey, sake and
other beverages.

These few examples do demonstrate the full potential
of fungus application for the benefit of humans, not to mention
their natural ability, in the food chain, to be the main responsi-
ble for the cycling of nutrients in the environment through the
decomposition of organic matter.

Regardless of the type of fungi and where they are

found, these organisms are present at our table, around us,

in the water, soil and air, associated with other living organ-

isms or not, causing diseases or benefits to humans, animals

and plants as well as a source of medicines and delicacies. All

these organisms were considered as plants, grouped formerly

in the Plant Kingdom, the reason why the rules used for their

classification, nomenclature and taxonomy are the same ap-

plied to the plants, following until today the International Code

of Botanical Nomenclature. However, by more advanced tech-

niques, such as molecular and chemical composition, we now

know that fungi are closer related to the animals than to the

plants.

Only as an informative note, one of the classifications

of living organisms that was already well defined, was that

in which organisms were included in five different kingdoms:

Monera (grouped the bacteria), Protista (grouped the proto-

zoa and unicellular algae), Fungi (grouped the fungi), Plantae

(grouped the plants) and Animalia (all animals) (12). With the

advancement of molecular studies, it was possible to separate

again and today there are more than 10 different kingdoms

(5), among these, is included the Fungi, a consolidated group

where the individuals share very similar characteristics.

In this Kingdom, under a general overview, we find those

known fungi that make us easily sneeze when we perceive

them in the environment as well as those filamentous ones,

like cotton fibers, that produce large amounts of spores and,

like dust, are easily carried by the wind. The spores are like

seeds, giving rise to new individuals. They can acquire or show

black to white colour, depending on the species of fungus and

the substrate where they grow.

Regarding the substrate, we have already noticed so far,

that fungi grow on the soil, in water, on or inside plants and

animals, on the surfaces of various materials, such as leather,

paintings, walls, wood and almost all products produced by the

food industry, both fresh and cooked. This diversity is provided

by the ability of certain species to absorb the nutrients present

in these substrates.

Of the approximately 100,000 species of known fungi,

among the 1,500,000 that we estimate to exist (13), most of them

are identified by morphological and/or molecular characteris-

tics. A curiosity in this identification is the presence of their

spores as the identity of each one. The way they are produced

and the grouping of hyphae are important for the differenti-

ation among genus. The spores can be produced on the hy-

phae like leaves or fruits in branches, or grouped as bouquets

of roses or pincushions. Also, these spores can be produced

within closed structures like jars, jugs, marbles or even in the

gills of the mushrooms' caps and canaliculi of bracket fungi.