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Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0

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A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Cell Biology, Metabolism and Physiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2022) | Viewed by 25820

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Prof. Dr. Jasmina Glamočlija

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Mycological Laboratory, Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research \"Siniša Stanković\"—National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: mushrooms; mycomedicines; mycofood
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Dejan Stojković

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Guest Editor

Mycological Laboratory, Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"—National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: mushrooms; mycomedicines; mycofood
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal and edible mushrooms belong to an astonishing realm of fungi. The term “mushroom” refers here to a medicinal or edible fruiting body belonging to higher fungi. Mycotherapy is a mycological and interdisciplinary scientific field, defined as the study of the use of extracts and compounds obtained from mushrooms as pharmaceuticals or health-promoting agents. Mycochemistry is an area in mycological chemistry in which the chemical profiles of fungi are explored, and molecules of interest are isolated and identified.

Mushrooms are important dietary components in some cultures. Some of them have traditionally been used for the treatment of various ailments, especially in folkloric Chinese medicine. On the other hand, the use of mushrooms is reported in ethnomycology around the globe, but to a lesser extent compared with their use in China. Mushroom extracts are increasingly consumed due to their health benefits, which include the enhancement of immune function and antitumor activity.

Products of mushrooms, when used as functional foods or dietary supplements, can help with interventions into sub-optimal health states, and may prevent the full-blown consequences of life-threatening diseases. An equilibrated diet that includes mushroom consumption can take advantage of the nutritional/medicinal features of mushrooms. Mushrooms are thought to exert many pharmacological effects, including antitumor, immunomodulatory, antigenotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, antihypertensive, antiplatelet-aggregating, antihyperglycemic, and antimicrobial activity, and have many pharmacological applications.

Numerous studies were conducted on low-molecular-weight and high-molecular-weight bioactive compounds isolated from mushrooms. These studies report heteropolysaccharides, α-glucans, β-glucans, proteins, lectins, complexes of polysaccharides with proteins, fatty acids, terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, lanostanoids, sterols, and phenolic compounds to be promising therapeutic agents.

Further research focused on mycotherapy is needed to validate the usefulness of mushrooms and their compounds, either alone or in combination with existing therapies.

This Special Issue will cover the pharmacological potential of compounds isolated from mushrooms, the biological activity of mushroom extracts, and the chemical characterization of the constituents responsible for such actions.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to:

Beneficial effects of medicinal and edible mushrooms on diseases and medical conditions;
Beneficial effects of compounds isolated from mushrooms on human health;
Therapeutic potential in infections, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and other medical disorders;
In vitro biological activities of medicinal and edible mushrooms;
Chemical characterization of medicinal mushrooms;
Applications of edible mushrooms in functional food products.

Prof. Dr. Jasmina Glamočlija
Dr. Dejan Stojković
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

mycotherapy
mycochemistry
functional foods
mycology
nutraceuticals
pharmaceuticals

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1916 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Study of Lactarius Mushrooms: Chemical Characterization, Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity

by Marina Kostić, Marija Ivanov, Ângela Fernandes, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Jasmina Glamočlija, Lillian Barros, Marina Soković and Ana Ćirić

J. Fungi 2023, 9(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9010070 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2000

Abstract

Mushrooms are valued worldwide for their nutritional, organoleptic and chemical properties. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition (free sugars, organic acids, fatty acids, tocopherols and phenolic compounds) and bioactivity of three wild mushrooms (Lactarius piperatus, Lactarius quietus and Lactarius vellereus) from Serbia. Chemical analysis was performed with HPLC-RI and UFLC-PDA (for hydrophilic compounds) and with GC-FID and HPLC-FP (for lipophilic compounds). The analysis of phenolic compounds was performed by UFLC-DAD. Biological activities were evaluated using three different assays (microdilution, TBARS and SRB assays). The results showed that the fruiting bodies were rich in mannitol and trehalose. The main organic acids were oxalic acid and citric acid. As for lipophilic components, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids and β-tocopherol dominated in all the species studied. In addition, the methanolic and ethanolic extracts obtained showed antibacterial, antibiofilm and antioxidant properties. As for cytotoxicity, the extracts were not toxic or only moderately toxic toward different tumor cell lines. According to the results, the selected Serbian mushrooms are a rich source of bioactive compounds, and due to their good biological potential, they can be further exploited as functional ingredients beneficial to human health (antimicrobial agents, antioxidants). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0)

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15 pages, 2655 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Vitamin-D-Enriched Edible Mushrooms on Vitamin D Status, Bone Health and Expression of CYP2R1, CYP27B1 and VDR Gene in Wistar Rats

by Muneeb Ahmad Malik, Yasmeena Jan, Lamya Ahmed Al-Keridis, Afrozul Haq, Javed Ahmad, Mohd Adnan, Nawaf Alshammari, Syed Amir Ashraf and Bibhu Prasad Panda

J. Fungi 2022, 8(8), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8080864 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2769

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in India and worldwide. Mushrooms are important nutritional foods, and in this context shiitake (Lentinula edodes), button (Agaricus bisporus) and oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) mushrooms are known for their bioactive properties. The application of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for the production of substantial amounts of vitamin D₂ is well established. Levels of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly (p < 0.05) improved in vitamin-D-deficient rats after feeding with UVB irradiated mushrooms for 4 weeks. Further, microscopic observations indicate an improvement in the osteoid area and the reduction in trabecular separation of the femur bone. In addition, the level of expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and genes metabolizing vitamin D were explored. It was observed that in mushroom-fed and vitamin-D-supplemented groups, there was upregulation of CYP2R1 and VDR, while there was downregulation of CYP27B1 in the liver. Further, CYP2R1 was downregulated, while CYP27B1 and VDR were upregulated in kidney tissue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0)

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16 pages, 3093 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochemical Approaches on Commercial Strains of Agaricus subrufescens Growing under Two Environmental Cultivation Conditions

by Daiana Almeida, Rossana V. C. Cardoso, Carla Pereira, Maria José Alves, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira, Diego Cunha Zied, Wagner G. Vieira Junior, Cinthia E. C. Caitano, Ângela Fernandes and Lillian Barros

J. Fungi 2022, 8(6), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8060616 - 09 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1806

Abstract

In the present work, the effect of the cultivation process, in the field and under a controlled environment, on biochemical parameters by using commercial strains of A. subrufescens were evaluated. The results obtained revealed that the strains cultivated in the field presented higher levels for most of the parameters evaluated (organic acids (20.5–48.0 g/100 g dw), tocopherols (107.0–198.6 µg/100 g dw), and phenolic acids and related compounds (245.2–359.0 µg/100 g dw and 10.6–23.7 µg/100 g dw, respectively)), except for the carbohydrates (53.4–72.6 g/100 g dw), energetic value (373–380 Kcal/100 g dw), and total free sugars (28.8–43.1 g/100 g dw), parameters in which the strains grown in a controlled environment present better results. For both cultivation systems, similar results were obtained regarding saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These data contribute to the knowledge and highlight the characterized strains and the cultivation process, which can be used to obtain ingredients with potential applicability as a source of functional compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0)

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15 pages, 5482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy of Cordyceps militaris Extracts against Some Skin Pathogenic Bacteria and Antioxidant Activity

by Kiratiya Eiamthaworn, Thida Kaewkod, Sakunnee Bovonsombut and Yingmanee Tragoolpua

J. Fungi 2022, 8(4), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8040327 - 22 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3445

Abstract

Cordyceps militaris has been used for treating various diseases, as well as maintaining good overall health. The antibacterial properties of the C. militaris fruiting body and substrate, cultured in Chiang Mai (sample A and B) and Chiang Rai (sample C), Thailand, were investigated in this study. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. militaris exhibited antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Cutibacterium acnes and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) with the MIC/MBC ranging from 3.91 to 31.25 mg/mL. The ethanolic extracts of the fruiting body and substrate from sample B also inhibited all bacterial growth within 2–4 h of treatment. Furthermore, ethanolic extract from sample B showed the highest cordycepin content of 57.42 mg/g extract, whereas the highest adenosine content, 3.78 mg/g extract, was observed in the ethanolic extract from the fruiting body of sample A by HPLC. The ethanolic extracts from sample A also demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity and flavonoid content by 9.50 mg GAE/g extract and 10.59 mg QAE/g extract, respectively. However, the highest phenolic content of 49.04 mg GAE/g extract was found in the aqueous extract of sample A. In addition, the ethanolic extract of sample A at 2 and 4 mg/mL could significantly down-regulate the mecA gene expression in MRSA. Our findings reported the potential of C. militaris extract as a new substance for the treatment of skin pathogenic bacteria infections and an antioxidant agent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0)

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18 pages, 1432 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Efficiency In Vitro Wound Healing of Dictyophora indusiata Extracts via Anti-Inflammatory and Collagen Stimulating (MMP-2 Inhibition) Mechanisms

by Yasir Nazir, Pichchapa Linsaenkart, Chiranan Khantham, Tanakarn Chaitep, Pensak Jantrawut, Chuda Chittasupho, Pornchai Rachtanapun, Kittisak Jantanasakulwong, Yuthana Phimolsiripol, Sarana Rose Sommano, Jiraporn Tocharus, Salin Mingmalairak, Anchali Wongsa, Chaiwat Arjin, Korawan Sringarm, Houda Berrada, Francisco J. Barba and Warintorn Ruksiriwanich

J. Fungi 2021, 7(12), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7121100 - 20 Dec 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4222

Abstract

Dictyophora indusiata or Phallus indusiatus is widely used as not only traditional medicine, functional foods, but also, skin care agents. Biological activities of the fruiting body from D. indusiata were widely reported, while the studies on the application of immature bamboo mushroom extracts were limited especially in the wound healing effect. Wound healing process composed of 4 stages including hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling. This study divided the egg stage of bamboo mushroom into 3 parts: peel and green mixture (PGW), core (CW), and whole mushroom (WW). Then, aqueous extracts were investigated for their nucleotide sequencing, biological compound contents, and wound healing effect. The anti-inflammatory determination via the levels of cytokine releasing from macrophages, and the collagen stimulation activity on fibroblasts by matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) inhibitory activity were determined to serve for the wound healing process promotion in the stage 2–4 (wound inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling of the skin). All D. indusiata extracts showed good antioxidant potential, significantly anti-inflammatory activity in the decreasing of the nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-1 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion from macrophage cells (p < 0.05), and the effective collagen stimulation via MMP-2 inhibition. In particular, CW extract containing high content of catechin (68.761 ± 0.010 mg/g extract) which could significantly suppress NO secretion (0.06 ± 0.02 µmol/L) better than the standard anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac (0.12 ± 0.02 µmol/L) and their MMP-2 inhibition (41.33 ± 9.44%) was comparable to L-ascorbic acid (50.65 ± 2.53%). These findings support that CW of D. indusiata could be an essential natural active ingredient for skin wound healing pharmaceutical products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0)

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Review

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21 pages, 1298 KiB

Open AccessReview

Edible Mushrooms as Novel Myco-Therapeutics: Effects on Lipid Level, Obesity and BMI

by Faheem Mustafa, Hitesh Chopra, Atif Amin Baig, Satya Kumar Avula, Sony Kumari, Tapan Kumar Mohanta, Muthupandian Saravanan, Awdhesh Kumar Mishra, Nanaocha Sharma and Yugal Kishore Mohanta

J. Fungi 2022, 8(2), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8020211 - 21 Feb 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4194

Abstract

Obesity, usually indicated by a body mass index of more than 30 kg/m², is a worsening global health issue. It leads to chronic diseases, including type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Conventional treatments for obesity include physical activity and maintaining a negative energy balance. However, physical activity alone cannot determine body weight as several other factors play a role in the overall energy balance. Alternatively, weight loss may be achieved by medication and surgery. However, these options can be expensive or have side effects. Therefore, dietary factors, including dietary modifications, nutraceutical preparations, and functional foods have been investigated recently. For example, edible mushrooms have beneficial effects on human health. Polysaccharides (essentially β-D-glucans), chitinous substances, heteroglycans, proteoglycans, peptidoglycans, alkaloids, lactones, lectins, alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, terpenes, phenols, nucleotides, glycoproteins, proteins, amino acids, antimicrobials, and minerals are the major bioactive compounds in these mushrooms. These bioactive compounds have chemo-preventive, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties. Consumption of edible mushrooms reduces plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and plasma glucose levels. Polysaccharides from edible mushrooms suppress mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, contributing to their anti-obesity properties. Therefore, edible mushrooms or their active ingredients may help prevent obesity and other chronic ailments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0)

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18 pages, 901 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biomass and Cordycepin Production by the Medicinal Mushroom Cordyceps militaris—A Review of Various Aspects and Recent Trends towards the Exploitation of a Valuable Fungus

by Dimitrios Kontogiannatos, Georgios Koutrotsios, Savvina Xekalaki and Georgios I. Zervakis

J. Fungi 2021, 7(11), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7110986 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 6218

Abstract

Cordyceps militaris is an entomopathogenic ascomycete with similar pharmacological importance to that of the wild caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis. C. militaris has attracted significant research and commercial interest due to its content in bioactive compounds beneficial to human health and the relative ease of cultivation under laboratory conditions. However, room for improvement exists in the commercial-scale cultivation of C. militaris and concerns issues principally related to appropriate strain selection, genetic degeneration of cultures, and substrate optimization. In particular, culture degeneration—usually expressed by abnormal fruit body formation and reduced sporulation—results in important economic losses and is holding back investors and potential growers (mainly in Western countries) from further developing this highly promising sector. In the present review, the main factors that influence the generation of biomass and metabolites (with emphasis on cordycepin biosynthesis) by C. militaris are presented and evaluated in conjunction with the use of a wide range of supplements or additives towards the enhancement of fungal productivity in large-scale cultivation processes. Moreover, physiological and genetic factors that increase or reduce the manifestation of strain degeneration in C. militaris are outlined. Finally, methodologies for developing protocols to be used in C. militaris functional biology studies are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mushrooms—Mycotherapy and Mycochemistry 2.0)

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