Funding tool: Dissertations
Project-ID: FTI23-D-030
Project start: 01. Dezember 2024
Project end: 30. November 2027
Runtime: 36 months / ongoing
Funding amount: ca. € 150.000,00

Brief summary:
The proposed project aims to investigate whether (toxic) secondary metabolites of plants or fungi in food can trigger psychoses in humans. The term psychosis summarizes the occurrence of mental symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disoriented behavior. The cause of the onset of psychotic episodes is multifactorial. In recent years, studies have identified the importance of environmental factors as triggers for psychotic symptoms. There is hardly any literature on the possible influence of plant toxins and fungal toxins (mycotoxins) on the development of psychosis, although the psychological effects of compounds with structural similarities to fungal metabolites are known. The aim of the submitted project is to investigate whether (toxic) metabolites of plants and fungi can be detected in the urine of patients with psychosis. Utilizing FFoQSI´s advanced LC-MS/MS (tandem mass spectrometry) method, the rapid quantification of more than 1,000 secondary metabolites in urine as well as food samples from the patient´s household can be realized. This experimental approach should ultimately allow conclusions to be drawn about the effect and interaction of different toxins. Another important aspect of the project focuses on the monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin as another relevant plant metabolite. With the increase in the use of resistant varieties, the serotonin intake of the population could increase significantly. The hypothesis will be tested whether the resistance of wheat against Fusarium is associated with a high serotonin content after Fusarium infection and what potential influence this connection may have on the development of psychosis. For this purpose, the serotonin content of artificially inoculated wheat varieties with different resistances will be measured by LC-MS/MS.

Keywords:
secondary metabolites, psychosis, moldy food, analytical chemistry, serotonin