Search results for " Mushrooms"
showing 10 items of 44 documents
Medicinal mushrooms: Valuable biological resources of high exploitation potential
2017
Higher Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes mushrooms possess various immunological and anticancer properties. They also offer important health benefits and exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, cytotoxic, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiallergic, antidepressive, antihyperlipidemic, antidiabetic, digestive, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, osteoprotective, and hypotensive activities. This minireview summarizes the perspectives, recent advances, and major challenges of medicinal mushrooms with reference to their nutraceutical properties and dietary value, the production of mushroom biomass …
Diversity of macrofungi and exploitation of edible mushroom resources in the National Park “Appennino Lucano, Val D'Agri, Lagonegrese” (Italy)
2015
An investigation on the macrofungal diversity of the National Park “Appennino Lucano, Val D’Agri, Lagonegrese” (Basilicata, southern Italy) was carried out, together with an evaluation of wild edible mushrooms in agro-forest ecosystems and their possible exploitation as a new source of food and revenue in rural and under-developed areas of this region. An unpublished list of 249 mushroom taxa (229 Basidiomycota and 20 Ascomycota), mostly belonging to the genera Tricholoma, Tuber, Russula, Amanita, Boletus, Lactarius, Mycena, Agaricus, Clitocybe and Hygrophorus, growing in this important natural area is provided together with ecological characterization of the recorded specimens. Inonotus ob…
The Potential Role of Medicinal Mushrooms in the Prevention and Treatment of Gynecological Cancers: A Review
2019
A review of scientific information about the potential role of medicinal mushrooms in the prevention and treatment of gynecological cancers, human immunodeficiency virus, and human papillomavirus infections is reported here. The results of in vivo and in vitro experiments on 16 different species of Basidiomycetes and three Ascomycetes, which possess chemopreventive potential and are effective in clinical application in combination with chemotherapy, are also discussed. Medicinal mushroom extracts confirm an evident efficacy on the reduction of tumor cell proliferation and side effects in patients with gynecological tumors who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. This review, the first on…
Structural characterization of polysaccharides of a productive strain of the culinary-medicinal king oyster mushroom, pleurotus eryngii (Agaricomycet…
2018
A preliminary biological investigation of the dry basidiomata of strain C-142-c of Pleurotus eryngii has shown significant antioxidant activity. Two different polysaccharides (PEPS-A1 and PEPS-A2) were isolated from the cultivated edible mushroom, P. eryngii C-142-c strain. Based on acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments (1H, 13C, distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer, double quantum filtered correlation spectroscopy, total correlation spectroscopy, nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy, heteronuclear singlequantum correlation spectroscopy, and heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation spectroscopy), the structures of the repeating uni…
Antiviral Agents From Fungi : Diversity, Mechanisms and Potential Applications
2018
Viral infections are amongst the most common diseases affecting people worldwide. New viruses emerge all the time and presently we have limited number of vaccines and only few antivirals to combat viral diseases. Fungi represent a vast source of bioactive molecules, which could potentially be used as antivirals in the future. Here, we have summarized the current knowledge of fungi as producers of antiviral compounds and discuss their potential applications. In particular, we have investigated how the antiviral action has been assessed and what is known about the molecular mechanisms and actual targets. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of accurate fungal species identification on ant…
Research on Acute Toxicity and the Behavioral Effects of Methanolic Extract from Psilocybin Mushrooms and Psilocin in Mice
2015
The pharmacological activities and acute toxicity of the psilocin (PC) and dried residues of the crude extracts of psychotropic mushrooms were investigated in mice. The hallucinogenic substances were effectively isolated, by using methanol, from the species of Psilocybe semilanceata and Pholiotina cyanopus, that were collected in the north-east region of Poland. The chemical analysis of these extracts, which was performed by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (LC-MS), indicated the presence of psilocin and other hallucinogenic substances, including indolealkylamines and their phosphorylated analogues. When the pure psilocin or fungal extracts were used, slight difference…
An adventive Panaeolus antillarum in Poland (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) with notes on its taxonomy, geographical distribution, and ecology
2014
Abstract Coprophilous fungus, Panaeolus antillarum rarely recorded in Europe, is reported here for the first time from the Augustow Plane, north-eastern Poland. This thermophilic species was found outdoors in August on horse dung mixed with straw. A chemical analysis did not confirm the presence of the psychoactive alkaloids in collected material. A complete description and illustration of the species based on Polish specimens are presented and notes on its taxonomy, ecology, world distribution and comparison with similar taxa — P. semiovatus var. semiovatus, P. semiovatus var. phalaenarum, and others are also provided.
Antibacterial activity of Pleurotus species
2013
Basidiomycetes express promising antitumor, immune modulating, cardiovascular and hypercholesterolemia, antiviral, antibacterial and antiparasitic effects (Wasser & Weis, 1999; Reshetnikov et al., 2001; Wasser, 2002, Didukh et al., 2003). They are also well known for their safety and efficacy as functional foods and dietary supplements (Wasser & Akavia, 2008). The antibacterial and antiviral value of different genera of Basidiomycetes has been tested by different authors (Benedict & Brady, 1972; Donnelly et al., 1986; Gao et al., 2003;). In particular the antibacterial and antiparasitic therapeutic effects were investigated in the genera Flammulina P. Karst, Fomes (Fr.) Fr., Ganoderma P. Ka…
Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials
2021
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 stu…
Taxonomic Identity, Geographic Distribution, and Commercial Exploitation of the Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis (Basidiomycetes)
2016
An updated overview of the outcome of studies conducted on the culinary-medicinal mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis is presented by placing emphasis on the clarification of the taxonomic identity of P. nebrodensis and other related taxa possessing entirely white to cream basidiomes, which grow in association with different plants of the family Apiaceae. Cultivation techniques, quality of the product sold and sales price, as well as nutritional and medicinal aspects are discussed. Taking also into consideration the high economic importance of P. nebrodensis, it is essential to proceed with the verification of the commercial strains currently available in the international market under the name …