Therapeutic Properties

Phenolics

Phenolic compounds are another group of secondary metabolites worth highlighting, as they exhibit a wide range of therapeutic functions including anti-inflammatory, anti- allergenic, anti-atherogenic, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, cardioprotective and vasodilating benefits. The chief mechanism of action of this group of compounds is related to their antioxidant activity.

THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES

Medicinal mushroom: boon for therapeutic applications Biotech (2018) 8:334.

Studies have shown that medicinal mushrooms have over 125 therapeutic functions. Some of the major benefits are described below.

Anticancer and Immune Function

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with the most common treatment being chemotherapy, which has serious side effects. The search continues for effective, non-toxic treatments. Schematic illustration of therapeutic applications of edible mushrooms

In recent years, several species of medicinal mushrooms have been studied for their anticancer properties in human cell lines, including leukemia, breast, renal, gastric, colorectal, and cervical cancers. Mushroom polysaccharides have been identified as one of the major categories of bioactive compounds to demonstrate anticancer effects in several cancer cell lines, including colorectal, renal, and oral cancer. Other bioactive compounds have also been recognized for their therapeutic potential, such as lectins (leukaemia), triterpenes (breast cancer), and clitocine (cervical cancer).

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In the medicinal mushroom Pleurotus eryngii (eringi), the anticancer effects demonstrated by polysaccharides include increased activity of natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the spleen, as well as an increase in tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin-2 in a renal cancer mouse model, thereby pointing to immune system modulation as the underlying mechanism of action. In another study, G. lucidum (reishi) was reported to increase cellular autophagy and the formation of autophagosomes in a gastric cancer cell line, "...we are only at the very demonstrating a different mechanism of action beginning of uncovering involving the removal of damaged cells. the clinical potential of While the beneficial effects of medicinal medicinal mushrooms..." mushrooms on boosting cellular immunity and protecting against various types of cancer have been well documented, we are only at the very beginning of uncovering the clinical potential of medicinal mushrooms, with much to consider, including extraction methods of bioactive compounds, mushroom cultivation, and safety.

Antiviral and Antibacterial

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a highly contagious virus affecting millions of people worldwide. Current treatment for HIV-1 postpones the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is the disease caused by HIV-1. Research in this field continues, and medicinal mushrooms are showing exciting albeit early developments in this space.

Proteins, triterpenoids, peptides, lectins, and polysaccharide-protein complexes have all been shown to possess antiviral properties against HIV-1. One reported mechanism of action by G. lucidum (reishi) includes the inhibition of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase enzyme, which plays a critical role in the lifecycle of the virus.

The antimicrobial activity of several medicinal mushrooms has also recently been investigated. In G. lucidum, polysaccharides were shown to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms found in food, including Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus nigricans.

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Anti-diabetic and Anti-obesity

Diabetes mellitus, also known as type 2 diabetes, is a chronic metabolic disease impacting millions of people worldwide. It is defined by high blood glucose levels caused by imbalances with the insulin hormone. Polysaccharides extracted from a number of different medicinal mushroom species have been associated with reducing blood glucose levels, and for some, in "Medicinal mushrooms increasing the secretion of insulin by β-cells, which possess antioxidant lowers blood glucose levels. and anti-inflammatory In one study, bioactive substances in an extract of the G. frondosa (maitake) fruiting body decreased properties, which have blood glucose levels in genetically-born diabetic been associated with many mice. Some medicinal mushrooms with alleged antiof the health-promoting diabetic properties are commercially available as dietary supplements, including products containing properties of fungi." cordyceps, lion’s mane, and maitake. Maitake, along with other medicinal mushrooms, have also shown promising anti-obesity effects, likely due to the activity of β-glucans in the mushroom extracts.

Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, and Anti-aging

Medicinal mushrooms possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been associated with many of the healthpromoting properties of fungi. G. lucidum (reishi) has been reported to increase the levels of antioxidative enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in liver and brain homogenates of mice sera.

Medicinal mushrooms have also demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing the production of different types of inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide, nitric oxide synthase, nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κΒ), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and other pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Anti-aging effects have been demonstrated in G. lucidum through the activity of ergosterols, secondary metabolites obtained from the

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mushroom. These compounds have been shown to extend the lifespan of the pathogen Saccharomyces cerevisiae by regulating the expression of an oxidative stress-responsive gene. Polysaccharides in G. lucidum and other medicinal mushrooms have also been shown to prevent oxidative stress and inhibit certain enzymes responsible for aging, thereby delaying it.

Cardioprotective

Cardiovascular disease is marked by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol. Trans fats are primarily responsible for increasing cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body, and other risk factors include high blood pressure and high glucose levels.

Several medicinal mushrooms have been associated with reducing total cholesterol levels in the body, including G. frondosa (maitake), H. erinaceus (lion’s mane), Pleurotus eryngii (eringi), and Hypsizygus marmoreus (bunashimeji). Various mechanisms of action have been identified, such as the inhibition of platelet aggregation, the inhibition of angiotensin, the decrease in very low-density (VLDL) lipoproteins, and improvements in lipid metabolism, with peptides being the major bioactive compounds responsible for these beneficial properties.

Hepatoprotective

The liver is critical in the metabolism of drugs and the detoxification of toxic compounds. Many bioactive compounds have been shown to support liver function, including phenolics, steroids, and terpenes, largely due to their role as antioxidants. In one study, G. lucidum (reishi) showed protection against vaccine-induced liver injury in mice.

The beneficial effect of the medicinal mushroom Agaricusblazei Murill was also investigated in a small study with patients suffering from hepatitis B and liver damage. After a year of being administered the mushroom extract, patients showed normalized liver function and a reduction in critical enzymes associated with liver damage.

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