Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials

Summary & key facts

This review describes compounds in medicinal mushrooms and how they work in lab and animal studies. It lists many possible effects, such as immune changes, anti-inflammatory and anticancer actions, and names key molecules like polysaccharides (β-glucans), terpenes, and fungal proteins. Most evidence so far comes from in vitro or animal studies, with only a small number of clinical trials in humans. The paper highlights Coriolus versicolor (turkey tail) products (PSP and PSK) that are used clinically in China and Japan and summarizes the lab-measured ways they may affect immune cells and cancer cells.

Key facts:

• The review lists many reported activities of medicinal mushrooms, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, immunomodulating, antidepressive, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, nephroprote
• Polysaccharides (especially α- and β-glucans) are described as major bioactive mushroom compounds. The paper says they can have antitumor, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic actions.
• Coriolus versicolor extracts PSP and PSK are protein-bound polysaccharides. PSP is reported to have a molecular weight of about 100 kDa and a polysaccharide-to-peptide balance of roughly 90:10.
• The review states that PSP contains the sugars mannose, xylose, galactose, and fructose and is highly water soluble. PSP is commonly extracted by boiling mycelia or fruiting bodies in water followed by ethanol precipitation.
• According to the paper, Coriolus versicolor-based products have been used in clinical practice: PSK has been used in Japan since 1977 and PSP/related products have been used in China since 1987. The authors note at least 12 C. versicolor-ba
• The review summarizes proposed immune mechanisms for PSP/PSK: they can change cytokine release (including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), increase histamine and prostaglandin E, activate natural killer (NK) cells, and increase dendritic and T cell tum
• The paper names immune receptors that β-glucans and related polysaccharides may engage: dectin-1, toll-like receptors TLR-2, TLR-4, TLR-6, and CR3 complement receptors.
• In laboratory tests, PSP was reported to induce apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells by lowering the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, releasing cytochrome c, and activating caspases-3, -8, and -9.
• The authors note that most pharmacological evidence comes from in vitro experiments and animal (in vivo) models, and they say only a small number of peer-reviewed clinical (human) studies are available.
• The review calls for more clinical trials and for development of supplements with verified safety and genetic purity, reflecting uncertainty about how well lab and animal results translate to humans.

Abstract

Medicinal mushrooms have important health benefits and exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including antiallergic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiviral, cytotoxic, immunomodulating, antidepressive, antihyperlipidemic, antidiabetic, digestive, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, osteoprotective, and hypotensive activities. The growing interest in mycotherapy requires a strong commitment from the scientific community to expand clinical trials and to propose supplements of safe origin and genetic purity. Bioactive compounds of selected medicinal mushrooms and their effects and mechanisms in in vitro and in vivo clinical studies are reported in this review. Besides, we analyzed the therapeutic use and pharmacological activities of mushrooms.

Topics

Fungal Biology and Applications Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds Phytochemistry and Bioactivity Studies

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Antifungal Antimicrobial Bioinformatics Biology Broad spectrum Chemistry Clinical trial Combinatorial chemistry Dermatology Medicinal plants Medicine Microbiology Pharmacology Traditional medicine