Considerations

schizopyllan (sonifilan, sizofiran, or SPG) from Schizophyllum commune befungin from Inonotus obliquus D-fraction from Grifola frondosa GLPS polysaccharide fraction from Ganoderma lucidum

Given the many therapeutic activities of the secondary metabolites of various medicinal mushrooms, they remain a relatively unclaimed source for drug discovery.

Recently, the interest in developing mushroom extracts to be marketed as dietary supplements and novel prebiotics (non-digestive β-glucans) has grown. As popularity increases, questions arise about safety, standardization, regulation, efficacy, and mechanism of action.

Given that no reputable standards or protocols are currently in place for the production, extraction, and testing of medicinal mushroom bioactive products, quality and efficacy between products vary greatly.

Other critical safety questions also remain unanswered, such as are medicinal mushroom products safe for pregnant women, or can they be consumed by young children, given immune systems in young children are not yet mature? Concerns around dosage also exist, given the discrepancy between various forms and formulations.

Many clinical trials have determined that 500–1000mg broken down and taken over the course of the day (2-3 times) is the acceptable dosage of medicinal mushroom preparations. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the standard daily dose of medicinal mushrooms per day in different forms (tablets, capsules, liquid extracts, etc.) must be equivalent to approximately 100–150g of fresh mushroom material.

From a research perspective, the majority of studies with medicinal mushrooms have been performed on cellular and animal models. More clinical data from human studies is therefore required to clarify whether

Medicinal Mushrooms in the 21st Century 21