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PloS One 2017A new fossil mushroom is described and illustrated from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of northeast Brazil. Gondwanagaricites magnificus gen. et sp. nov. is...
A new fossil mushroom is described and illustrated from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of northeast Brazil. Gondwanagaricites magnificus gen. et sp. nov. is remarkable for its exceptional preservation as a mineralized replacement in laminated limestone, as all other fossil mushrooms are known from amber inclusions. Gondwanagaricites represents the oldest fossil mushroom to date and the first fossil mushroom from Gondwana.
Topics: Agaricales; Fossils; Paleontology; Time Factors
PubMed: 28591180
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178327 -
International Journal of Medicinal... 2020The systematic study of aphyllophoroid, including hymenochaetoid, fungi in Armenia revealed around 200 species, forms, and varieties among which around 40 species... (Review)
Review
The systematic study of aphyllophoroid, including hymenochaetoid, fungi in Armenia revealed around 200 species, forms, and varieties among which around 40 species possess medicinal properties. The modern taxonomic analysis and nomenclature verification of mycobiota of macromycetes are required for assessment of the resource value of Armenian medicinal mushrooms. According to Index Fungorum the hymenochaetoid fungi (order Hymenochaetales) is currently represented by 27 species, 14 genera, and 3 families. Among them, Phellinus tremulae has originally been reported for Armenian mycobiota; 12 species possess pharmacological properties. The current review addresses the biodiversity, resource value, bioactive and pharmacological properties, as well as perspectives for further biotechnological exploitation of hymenochaetoid fungi in Armenia.
Topics: Agaricales; Animals; Armenia; Basidiomycota; Biodiversity; Humans; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 33463931
DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2020037092 -
G3 (Bethesda, Md.) Feb 2021Pleurotus mushrooms are among the most cultivated fungi in the world and are highly valuable for food, medicine, and biotechnology industries. Furthermore, Pleurotus...
Pleurotus mushrooms are among the most cultivated fungi in the world and are highly valuable for food, medicine, and biotechnology industries. Furthermore, Pleurotus species are carnivorous fungi; they can rapidly paralyze and kill nematodes when nutrient-deprived. The predator-prey interactions between Pleurotus and nematodes are still widely unexplored. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms and the genes involved in the carnivorous behavior of Pleurotus mushrooms remain a mystery. We are attempting to understand the interactions between Pleurotus mushrooms and their nematode prey through genetic and genomic analyses. Two single spores (ss2 and ss5) isolated from a fruiting body of Pleurotus pulmonarius exhibited significant differences in growth and toxicity against nematodes. Thus, using PacBio long reads, we assembled and annotated two high-quality genomes for these two isolates of P. pulmonarius. Each of these assemblies contains 23 scaffolds, including 6 (ss2) and 8 (ss5) telomere-to-telomere scaffolds, and they are among the most complete assembled genomes of the Pleurotus species. Comparative analyses identified the genomic differences between the two P. pulmonarius strains. In sum, this work provides a genomic resource that will be invaluable for better understanding the Italian oyster mushroom P. pulmonarius.
Topics: Agaricales; Genomics; Italy; Pleurotus
PubMed: 33585863
DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa007 -
International Journal of Medicinal... 2018South America harbors much of the world's biodiversity, representing a potential reservoir of species with diverse possibilities for use. From this perspective, mushroom... (Review)
Review
South America harbors much of the world's biodiversity, representing a potential reservoir of species with diverse possibilities for use. From this perspective, mushroom species are included because they naturally produce a wide variety of substances, especially ones with antimicrobial activity. In this article we present a review of the literature on the antimicrobial activity of mushrooms collected in South America, emphasizing the bacteria and fungi these mushrooms inhibit, the main methodologies researchers use for antimicrobial tests, and some directions for future research. This review demonstrates that the agar diffusion test was the most prevalent method in studies of South American mushrooms. Most studies dealt with specimens collected in Chile (16 species), Brazil (10 species), and Uruguay (2 species), and 27 of those species presented antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, most research developed with Basidiomycetes in South America aimed only to screen antimicrobial agents, whereas few studies explored the antimicrobial potential of purified secondary metabolites. Thus it is very important to conduct research in order to screen for and isolate antimicrobial substances, which researchers can then use to develop new antimicrobial drugs.
Topics: Agaricales; Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteria; Basidiomycota; South America
PubMed: 30806230
DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2018028771 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2021Medicinal mushrooms are increasingly being recognized as an important therapeutic modality in complementary oncology. Until now, more than 800 mushroom species have been... (Review)
Review
Medicinal mushrooms are increasingly being recognized as an important therapeutic modality in complementary oncology. Until now, more than 800 mushroom species have been known to possess significant pharmacological properties, of which antitumor and immunomodulatory properties have been the most researched. Besides a number of medicinal mushroom preparations being used as dietary supplements and nutraceuticals, several isolates from mushrooms have been used as official antitumor drugs in clinical settings for several decades. Various proteomic approaches allow for the identification of a large number of differentially regulated proteins serendipitously, thereby providing an important platform for a discovery of new potential therapeutic targets and approaches as well as biomarkers of malignant disease. This review is focused on the current state of proteomic research into antitumor mechanisms of some of the most researched medicinal mushroom species, including , , , , , and , as whole body extracts or various isolates, as well as of complex extract mixtures.
Topics: Agaricales; Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Products; Complex Mixtures; Fungal Polysaccharides; Fungal Proteins; Immunologic Factors; Proteoglycans; Proteome; Proteomics; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 34771120
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26216708 -
International Journal of Medicinal... 2022The medicinal mushroom Leucocalocybe mongolica has received much attention from biologists since the end of the last century due to its rich bioactive compounds and high... (Review)
Review
The medicinal mushroom Leucocalocybe mongolica has received much attention from biologists since the end of the last century due to its rich bioactive compounds and high efficiency against a wide range of chronic diseases. Many years ago, L. mongolica was used in traditional Chinese medicine. About 100 chemical components have been isolated and/or identified in L. mongolica, especially fruiting bodies. This mushroom is rich in polysaccharides, sterols, lectins, laccase, amino acids, and volatile compounds. The bioactive compounds from L. mongolica possess significant pharmacological activities such as antitumor, antiproliferative, antidiabetic, and hypotensive effects. However, some bioactive characteristics of this mushroom still need further investigation to elucidate the multiple biological and pharmacological uses. Furthermore, L. mongolica requires scientific proof regarding its use to enhance milk production and mammary gland differentiation. In this review, we summarize the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of L. mongolica and provide suggestions for future research on this medicinal mushroom.
Topics: Agaricales; Basidiomycota; Lectins; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 35695635
DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2022043854 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jan 2020Upon injury, psychotropic psilocybin-producing mushrooms instantly develop an intense blue color, the chemical basis and mode of formation of which has remained elusive....
Upon injury, psychotropic psilocybin-producing mushrooms instantly develop an intense blue color, the chemical basis and mode of formation of which has remained elusive. We report two enzymes from Psilocybe cubensis that carry out a two-step cascade to prepare psilocybin for oxidative oligomerization that leads to blue products. The phosphatase PsiP removes the 4-O-phosphate group to yield psilocin, while PsiL oxidizes its 4-hydroxy group. The PsiL reaction was monitored by in situ C NMR spectroscopy, which indicated that oxidative coupling of psilocyl residues occurs primarily via C-5. MS and IR spectroscopy indicated the formation of a heterogeneous mixture of preferentially psilocyl 3- to 13-mers and suggest multiple oligomerization routes, depending on oxidative power and substrate concentration. The results also imply that phosphate ester of psilocybin serves a reversible protective function.
Topics: Agaricales; Biological Products; Hallucinogens; Psilocybe
PubMed: 31725937
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201910175 -
Nutrients Mar 2024Nutraceuticals represent an emerging and dynamic scientific field due to their important potential in integrated healthcare through nutritional and medicinal approaches... (Review)
Review
Nutraceuticals represent an emerging and dynamic scientific field due to their important potential in integrated healthcare through nutritional and medicinal approaches that interact and complement each other mutually. In an attempt to find new sources for such preparations, the present research focuses on the species (L.) Pers. (Cantharellaceae), also known as the black trumpet. This wild mushroom species is renowned for its culinary excellence and unique taste and is used especially in a dehydrated state. However, beyond its gastronomic value, recent scientific investigations have revealed its potential as a source of bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical and therapeutic significance. Our study aimed, therefore, to review the current data regarding the morphology, chemical profile, and medicinal potential of the black trumpet mushroom, highlighting its unique attributes. By conducting a comprehensive literature analysis, this paper contributes to the broader understanding of this remarkable fungal species as a potential functional food and its promising applications in the field of therapeutics.
Topics: Basidiomycota; Agaricales; Dietary Supplements
PubMed: 38542742
DOI: 10.3390/nu16060831 -
Toxins Oct 2020Mushroom poisonings remain a significant cause of emergency medicine. While there are well-known species, such as , causing life-threatening poisonings, there is also... (Review)
Review
Mushroom poisonings remain a significant cause of emergency medicine. While there are well-known species, such as , causing life-threatening poisonings, there is also accumulating evidence of poisonings related to species that have been considered edible and are traditionally consumed. In particular, the group was reported to cause myotoxicity. In addition, particular wild mushrooms that are traditionally consumed especially in Asia and Eastern Europe have been subject to suspicion due to possible mutagenicity. Hitherto, the causative agents of these effects often remain to be determined, and toxicity studies have yielded contradictory results. Due to this, there is no consensus about the safety of these species. The issue is further complicated by difficulties in species identification and other possible sources of toxicity, such as microbiological contamination during storage, leading to sometimes opposite conclusions about the edibility of a species. This review focuses on existing data about these types of mushroom poisonings, including the still sparse knowledge about the causative chemical agents. In addition, the aim is to initiate a meta-discussion about the issue and to give some suggestions about how to approach the situation from the viewpoint of the collector, the researcher, and the practicing physician.
Topics: Agaricales; Animals; Food Safety; Humans; Mushroom Poisoning; Mycotoxins; Risk Assessment; Species Specificity
PubMed: 33023182
DOI: 10.3390/toxins12100639 -
International Journal of Medicinal... 2024Mushrooms have been used by humans for centuries as food and medicine because they have been shown to affect certain diseases. Mushrooms for medicinal purposes have been... (Review)
Review
Mushrooms have been used by humans for centuries as food and medicine because they have been shown to affect certain diseases. Mushrooms for medicinal purposes have been consumed in the form of extracts and/or biomass of the mycelium or fruiting body. The beneficial health effects of mushrooms are due to their content of bioactive compounds (polysaccharides, proteins, ergosterol, lectins, etc.). On the other hand, diabetes is one of the metabolic diseases that affects the population worldwide, characterized by hyperglycemia that involves a defective metabolism of insulin, a hormone secreted by β cells and that mainly stimulates glucose absorption by the cells. However, it also affects the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins; poor control of this disease leads to serious damage to eyesight, kidneys, bones, heart, skin, blood vessels, nerves, etc. It has been reported that the consumption of some mushrooms helps control and treat diabetes, since among other actions, they promote the secretion of insulin by the pancreas, help reduce blood glucose and have α-glucosidase inhibitory activity which improves glucose uptake by cells, which are effects that prescription medications have for patients with diabetes. In that sense, this manuscript shows a review of scientific studies that support the abilities of some mushrooms to be used in the control and/or treatment of diabetes.
Topics: Agaricales; Hypoglycemic Agents; Humans; Diabetes Mellitus; Biological Products; Fungi; Animals; Insulin
PubMed: 38780420
DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2024052864