0000000000355506
AUTHOR
Lorenzo Pecoraro
Exploring the apparent properties and Q-markers for quality control of Cornus officinalis
Cornus officinalis Siebold & Zucc. has a high nutritious value and is widely used in food fields. To distinguish the quality of cornus in different areas, this research provided a new strategy for comprehensively evaluating cornus. As a result, 12 iridoid glycosides and 7 polyphenols were identified and quantified by UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS in 13 batches of samples from five different origins. Chromaticity analysis pointed out that pelargonidin-3-O-galactoside, total iridoids, and total polyphenols performed high relation with 1365*. Antioxidant activity and inhibition of α-glucosidase effect correlated with the chemical analysis suggested that iridoid glycosides and polyphenols should represent…
The Role of Medicinal Mushrooms in Brain Cancer Therapies: Review.
Medicinal mushrooms are considered an unlimited source of polysaccharides (mainly β-glucans) and polysaccharide-protein complexes and possess various immunological and anticancer properties. In addition, their use in integrative medicine leads to a clear reduction of side effects in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The literature reports a number of beneficial effects of using mushrooms as health supplements in patients affected by high-grade glioma. The effects of medicinal mushrooms on side effects in patients with brain cancer and a case study report are also described in this review.
Fungal biodiversity and in situ conservation in Italy
A remarkable increase in knowledge of fungal biodiversity in Italy has occurred in the last five years. The authors report up-to-date numbers of fungi (Basidiomycota and Ascomycota) by regions together with distributional and ecological data on hypogeous fungi. Specific case studies such as alpine fungi, orchid mycorrhizas symbionts, invasive species, and the use of macrofungi as food by red squirrels are analyzed. In situ conservation strategies carried out on target species and/or taxonomic groups are also indicated.
Biodiversity of wood-decay fungi in Italy
Abstract Current knowledge about Italian wood-decay fungi (Basidiomycota and Ascomycota) is surveyed: 1582 taxa belonging to Ascomycota (341) and Basidiomycota (1241) have been reported, including 23 species new to science of Basidiomycota described from Italy within the last five years. Evaluating diversity of wood-decay fungi can provide a more accurate estimation of species richness for fungi which are an important functional component of ecosystems. Aphyllophoroid and Ascomycota species play an important role in habitat conservation and management. Sardinia, Sicily, the Alps and the Apennines are “hot spots” for wood-decay Basidiomycota in Italy.
Macrofungi in Mediterranean maquis along seashore and altitudinal transects
In semi-arid Mediterranean environments, fungal activity is fundamental for buffering biotic and abiotic stress to the plant and for sustaining a vegetation cover. Despite the important role that fungi play in habitats stability, mycological data from Mediterranean ecosystems are scarce and fragmentary. We investigated fungal diversity in several areas characterized by Mediterranean maquis, from continental Italy, Sicily, and Greece in order to contribute to the analysis of distribution, ecology, and diversity of macrofungi in evergreen sclerophyllous shrublands at different elevation and distance from the seashore across the Mediterranean Basin. Several fungal taxa that are remarkable due …
Ex situ conservation and exploitation of fungi in Italy
Abstract The kingdom Fungi comprises one of the most diverse groups of living organisms. They are numerous, ubiquitous and undertake many roles both independently and in association with other organisms. Fungi display a wide diversity of forms also mirrored by functional diversity and play such a dominant role in human society that they are arguably biotechnologically the most important group of organisms. Ex situ conservation of fungi, not only guarantees correct management and conservation of biodiversity, but also its exploitation in different fields. This article describes the major biological resource centres dealing with fungi in Italy and gives several examples of fungal exploitation…
Cultivated mushrooms: importance of a multipurpose crop, with special focus on Italian fungiculture
Fungi, organisms of high nutritional value with significant bioactive compound content, are considered to be nutraceuticals, mycotherapeutics, cosmeceuticals and useful for the production of functional foods. Their cultivation allows the sustainable management of agro-industrial wastes and generates good income with low inputs, constituting a good opportunity for the development of economically depressed rural areas. There are also many possible uses for the spent substrate in various sectors. provide an overview of the nutritional value of mushrooms and the cultivation of edible and medicinal mushrooms cultivation and uses in Italy.
Molecular evidence supports simultaneous association of the achlorophyllous orchid Chamaegastrodia inverta with ectomycorrhizal Ceratobasidiaceae and Russulaceae
Abstract Background Achlorophyllous orchids are mycoheterotrophic plants, which lack photosynthetic ability and associate with fungi to acquire carbon from different environmental sources. In tropical latitudes, achlorophyllous forest orchids show a preference to establish mycorrhizal relationships with saprotrophic fungi. However, a few of them have been recently found to associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi and there is still much to be learned about the identity of fungi associated with tropical orchids. The present study focused on mycorrhizal diversity in the achlorophyllous orchid C. inverta, an endangered species, which is endemic to southern China. The aim of this work was to identi…