Wild Mushrooms

Mushroom-forming fungi produce a wide array of unique metabolites—polysaccharides, terpenoids, polyketides, and amino compounds—with diverse biological effects. Their most studied application is cancer treatment: certain compounds have direct antitumor activity, while immunomodulating polysaccharides like β-glucans stimulate the host immune system against cancer cells. Clinically proven glucan-based products include lentinan from Lentinula edodes and PSK from Trametes versicolor. Mushrooms also yield potent cytotoxic compounds (e.g., illudins, clitocine, ganoderic acids) and antimicrobials such as pleuromutilin, which led to newly approved human drugs. Psilocybin from psychedelic mushrooms is studied as a breakthrough therapy for depression. Mushroom consumption may improve sugar and lipid metabolism, and production can be manipulated to enhance yields of compounds like vitamin D.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, although only relatively recently they have become a subject of intensive studies as a source of potential drugs and products that could be used in the treatment of many disorders. Mushroom-forming fungi are shown to produce a vast number of unique metabolites that exhibit various biological effects; these include polysaccharides, terpenoids, polyketides, and amino compounds. The most studied use of mushrooms is for cancer treatment; mushrooms are a source of both compounds with direct antitumor effect, as well as immunomodulating polysaccharides (particularly β-glucans), which have been shown to stimulate the host's immune system and immunological response to cancer cells. Glucan-based mushroom products, such as lentinan from Lentinula edodes and PSK from Trametes versicolor, are clinically proven to be beneficial in the treatment of certain cancer types. Mushrooms are also known to be a source of potent cytotoxic compounds, such are illudins, clitocine, and ganoderic acids. As microbial resistance to antibiotics is becoming more and more prevalent, mushrooms are seen as a good source of new classes of compounds with antimicrobial activity, some of which, such as pleuromutilin, have led to the synthesis of new drugs that have been recently approved for use in humans. Psychedelic mushrooms and psilocybin have also been studied as breakthrough therapies for depression. Mushroom consumption has been associated with beneficial effects on sugar and lipid metabolism, which led to increased interest in research of mushroom product use in the treatment of metabolic disorders. Although mushrooms are often presumed to be a rich source of certain compounds with vitamin activity, this may not be the case. However, mushroom production can be manipulated to obtain higher yields of physiologically active compounds, such as vitamin D.