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International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2021Medicinal use of mushrooms has been documented since ancient times, and in the modern world, mushrooms have a longstanding history of use in Eastern medicine. Recent... (Review)
Review
Medicinal use of mushrooms has been documented since ancient times, and in the modern world, mushrooms have a longstanding history of use in Eastern medicine. Recent interest in plant-based diets in Westernized countries has brought increasing attention to the use of mushrooms and mushroom-derived compounds in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Edible mushrooms are the most abundant food sources of the modified amino acid, ergothioneine. This compound has been shown to accumulate in almost all cells and tissues, but preferentially in those exposed to oxidative stress and injury. The demonstrated cytoprotectant effect of ergothioneine has led many to suggest a potential therapeutic role for this compound in chronic conditions that involve ongoing oxidative stress and inflammation, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, the in vivo effects of ergothioneine and its underlying therapeutic mechanisms in the whole organism are not as clear. Moreover, there are no well-defined, clinical prevention and intervention trials of ergothioneine in chronic disease. This review highlights the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of ergothioneine and its potential as a Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the promotion of cardiometabolic health and the management of the most common manifestations of cardiometabolic disease.
Topics: Agaricales; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Biological Products; Dietary Supplements; Energy Metabolism; Ergothioneine; Heart; Humans; Myocardium
PubMed: 33806754
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063246 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Nov 2019Many different species of mushrooms are consumed around the world, after harvesting from nature or cultivated under controlled conditions. Fruiting bodies of mushrooms... (Review)
Review
Many different species of mushrooms are consumed around the world, after harvesting from nature or cultivated under controlled conditions. Fruiting bodies of mushrooms from the Agaricus, Lentinula, and Pleurotus genera are reported as the most cultivated and commercialized ones in many countries, while wild edible mushroom species vary greatly according to the growth location. Mushrooms are nutritionally well-balanced sources of carbohydrates and proteins, with low fat concentrations, usually ranging from 0.1 to 16.3% making them very health foods. Although mushrooms are not a choice source of lipids, they contain essential fatty acids such as linoleic, oleic, and linolenic in their lipid profiles, usually as the major constituents. Therefore, compared to other food of vegetal and animal origin, mushrooms have the advantage of possessing high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Percentage of these fatty acids (in 100 g of total fatty acids) in mushrooms varies greatly: linoleic acid ranges from 0.0-81.1%, oleic acid between 1.0 and 60.3%, and linolenic acid from 0.0-28.8%. A global overview of the lipid composition of mushrooms is presented in this review, emphasizing the presence and levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and PUFA. Literature points that, in mushrooms, unsaturated fatty acid levels are generaly greater than those of saturated ones, regardless of the continent where the mushroom is cultivated or harvested. Comparing individually different species of the same mushroom (Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Boletus edulis) from different continents, similar fatty acid profile is also frequently observed. The great variety of edible mushrooms found worldwide and their consistent production of fatty acids, regardless the geographic source, make mushrooms an important source of essential fat acids for a human health diet.
Topics: Agaricales; Fatty Acids, Essential; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Nutritive Value
PubMed: 31554069
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108524 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2023Mushrooms are new potential sources of valuable medicines, long neglected because of difficulties experienced in their cultivation. There is a large variety of medicinal... (Review)
Review
Mushrooms are new potential sources of valuable medicines, long neglected because of difficulties experienced in their cultivation. There is a large variety of medicinal mushrooms which possess significant therapeutic properties and are used as medications for various diseases because they contain several novel highly bioactive components. Medicinal mushrooms can be identified based on their morphology, size, mass, and the color of the stalk, cap and spore, and attachment to the stalk. Medicinal mushrooms possess a variety of important biological activities and are used as antioxidants, hepatoprotectors, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiaging, antiviral, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial agents, among others. This review provides a basic overview of the chemical scaffolds present in mushrooms and their therapeutic implications in the human body.
Topics: Humans; Agaricales; Antioxidants; Anti-Infective Agents; Pharmacy
PubMed: 37958579
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115596 -
Biomolecules Jul 2022Alkaloids are a wide family of basic -containing natural products, whose research has revealed bioactive compounds of pharmacological interest. Studies on these... (Review)
Review
Alkaloids are a wide family of basic -containing natural products, whose research has revealed bioactive compounds of pharmacological interest. Studies on these compounds have focused more attention on those produced by plants, although other types of organisms have also been proven to synthesize bioactive alkaloids, such as animals, marine organisms, bacteria, and fungi. This review covers the findings of the last 20 years (2002-2022) related to the isolation, structures, and biological activities of the alkaloids produced by mushrooms, a fungal subgroup, and their potential to develop drugs and agrochemicals. In some cases, the synthesis of the reviewed compounds and structure-activity relationship studies have been described.
Topics: Agaricales; Alkaloids; Animals; Aquatic Organisms; Biological Products; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 35892335
DOI: 10.3390/biom12081025 -
Blood Transfusion = Trasfusione Del... Mar 2022
Topics: Agaricales; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune; COVID-19; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; Thrombocytopenia
PubMed: 34967726
DOI: 10.2450/2021.0224-21 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2020Mushrooms have a long history of uses for their medicinal and nutritional properties. They have been consumed by people for thousands of years. Edible mushrooms are... (Review)
Review
Mushrooms have a long history of uses for their medicinal and nutritional properties. They have been consumed by people for thousands of years. Edible mushrooms are collected in the wild or cultivated worldwide. Recently, mushroom extracts and their secondary metabolites have acquired considerable attention due to their biological effects, which include antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and immunomodulatory activities. Thus, in addition to phytochemists, nutritionists and consumers are now deeply interested in the phytochemical constituents of mushrooms, which provide beneficial effects to humans in terms of health promotion and reduction of disease-related risks. In recent years, scientific reports on the nutritional, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of mushroom have been overwhelming. However, the bioactive compounds and biological properties of wild edible mushrooms growing in Southeast Asian countries have been rarely described. In this review, the bioactive compounds isolated from 25 selected wild edible mushrooms growing in Southeast Asia have been reviewed, together with their biological activities. Phytoconstituents with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities have been highlighted. Several evidences indicate that mushrooms are good sources for natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.
Topics: Agaricales; Antioxidants; Asia, Southeastern; Biological Products; Humans; Molecular Structure; Phenotype; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 32340227
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081972 -
Nutrients Jun 2023Mushrooms with edible and medicinal potential have received widespread attention because of their diverse biological functions, nutritional value, and delicious taste,... (Review)
Review
Mushrooms with edible and medicinal potential have received widespread attention because of their diverse biological functions, nutritional value, and delicious taste, which are closely related to their rich active components. To date, many bioactive substances have been identified and purified from mushrooms, including proteins, carbohydrates, phenols, and vitamins. More importantly, molecules derived from mushrooms show great potential to alleviate the pathological manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which seriously affects the health of elderly people. Compared with current therapeutic strategies aimed at symptomatic improvement, it is particularly important to identify natural products from resource-rich mushrooms that can modify the progression of AD. This review summarizes recent investigations of multiple constituents (carbohydrates, peptides, phenols, etc.) isolated from mushrooms to combat AD. In addition, the underlying molecular mechanisms of mushroom metabolites against AD are discussed. The various mechanisms involved in the antiAD activities of mushroom metabolites include antioxidant and anti-neuroinflammatory effects, apoptosis inhibition, and stimulation of neurite outgrowth, etc. This information will facilitate the application of mushroom-derived products in the treatment of AD. However, isolation of new metabolites from multiple types of mushrooms and further in vivo exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying their antiAD effect are still required.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Agaricales; Alzheimer Disease; Antioxidants; Carbohydrates; Phenols
PubMed: 37375662
DOI: 10.3390/nu15122758 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2023is a rare and emerging cause of invasive mould infections in patients with haematological malignancies, with a mortality rate of approximately 70%. Here, we present the...
is a rare and emerging cause of invasive mould infections in patients with haematological malignancies, with a mortality rate of approximately 70%. Here, we present the first reported case of suspected disseminated infection in China. The patient experienced a second relapse of acute myeloid leukaemia and developed neutropenia, fever, discrepant blood pressure between limbs, and cutaneous lesions limited to the left upper extremity. Since lung tissue biopsy was not feasible, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and panfungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and blood samples were performed, which indicated probable pulmonary infection. Histopathology of cutaneous lesions revealed numerous fungal hyphae within dermal blood vessels. mNGS of a skin biopsy sample identified sequences, and the fungi was subsequently recovered from fungal culture, proving cutaneous infection. Despite combined antifungal therapy, the patient died owing to disease progression. Additionally, 22 previously reported cases of invasive infection were reviewed in patients with haematological malignancies. Thus, mNGS is a powerful diagnostic tool for the early and effective detection of invasive infections, with the advantage of sequencing all potential pathogens, and providing results within 24 h.
Topics: Humans; Lung Diseases, Fungal; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Agaricales; Hematologic Neoplasms; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Metagenomics; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 37254739
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2220581 -
Nutrients Apr 2021The importance of a well-functioning and balanced immune system has become more apparent in recent decades. Various elements have however not yet been uncovered as... (Review)
Review
The importance of a well-functioning and balanced immune system has become more apparent in recent decades. Various elements have however not yet been uncovered as shown, for example, in the uncertainty on immune system responses to COVID-19. Fungal beta-glucans are bioactive molecules with immunomodulating properties. Insights into the effects and function of beta-glucans, which have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, advances with the help of modern immunological and biotechnological methods. However, it is still unclear into which area beta-glucans fit best: supplements or medicine? This review has highlighted the potential application of fungal beta-glucans in nutrition and medicine, reviewing their formulation, efficacy, safety profile, and immunomodulating effects. The current status of dietary fungal glucans with respect to the European scientific requirements for health claims related to the immune system and defense against pathogens has been reviewed. Comparing the evidence base of the putative health effects of fungal beta-glucan supplements with the published guidance documents by EFSA on substantiating immune stimulation and pathogen defense by food products shows that fungal beta-glucans could play a role in supporting and maintaining health and, thus, can be seen as a good health-promoting substance from food, which could mean that this effect may also be claimed if approved. In addition to these developments related to food uses of beta-glucan-containing supplements, beta-glucans could also hold a novel position in Western medicine as the concept of trained immunity is relatively new and has not been investigated to a large extent. These innovative concepts, together with the emerging success of modern immunological and biotechnological methods, suggest that fungal glucans may play a promising role in both perspectives, and that there are possibilities for traditional medicine to provide an immunological application in both medicine and nutrition.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Agaricales; Aged; Animals; COVID-19; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Female; Fungal Polysaccharides; Fungi; Humans; Immune System; Immunity; Immunomodulation; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; Pleurotus; SARS-CoV-2; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Young Adult; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 33920583
DOI: 10.3390/nu13041333 -
Bioengineered Dec 2021Throughout history, mushrooms have occupied an inseparable part of the diet in many countries. Mushrooms are considered a rich source of phytonutrients such as... (Review)
Review
Throughout history, mushrooms have occupied an inseparable part of the diet in many countries. Mushrooms are considered a rich source of phytonutrients such as polysaccharides, dietary fibers, and other micronutrients, in addition to various essential amino acids, which are building blocks of vital proteins. In general, mushrooms offer a wide range of health benefits with a large spectrum of pharmacological properties, including antidiabetic, antioxidative, antiviral, antibacterial, osteoprotective, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, etc. Both wild edible and medicinal mushrooms possess strong therapeutic and biological activities, which are evident from their and assays. The multifunctional activities of the mushroom extracts and the targeted potential of each of the compounds in the extracts have a broad range of applications, especially in the healing and repair of various organs and cells in humans. Owing to the presence of the aforementioned properties and rich phytocomposition, mushrooms are being used in the production of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. This review aims to provide a clear insight on the commercially cultivated, wild edible, and medicinal mushrooms with comprehensive information on their phytochemical constituents and properties as part of food and medicine for futuristic exploitation. Future outlook and prospective challenges associated with the cultivation and processing of these medicinal mushrooms as functional foods are also discussed.
Topics: Agaricales; Aging; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Dietary Supplements; Immunologic Factors; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 34738876
DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.2001183