Hypoglycemic effects ofGanoderma applanatumandCollybia confluensexo-polymers in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The Artist's Conk Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Agaricomycetes): Mycological, Mycochemical, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review

As a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine, Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat., also known as flat-ling Ganoderma (Chinese name bianlingzhi), old mother fungus (laomujun), and old ox liver (laoniugan), has high medicinal value. It is used as an anti-cancer drug in China and Japan. Besides, it can treat rheumatic tuberculosis and has the effect of relieving pain, clearing away heat, eliminating accumulation, stopping bleeding and eliminating phlegm. The purpose of this review is to analyze the research progress systematically and comprehensively in mycology, mycochemistry and pharmacological activities of G. applanatum, and discuss the prospect of prospective research and implementation of this medicinal material. A comprehensive literature search was performed on G. applanatum using scientific databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, CNKI, Elsevier. Collected data from different sources was comprehensively summarized for mycology, mycochemistry and pharmacology of G. applanatum. A total of 324 compounds were recorded, the main components of which were triterpenoids, meroterpenoids, steroids, and polysaccharides. G. applanatum and its active ingredients have a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-tumor, liver protection, hypoglycemic, anti-fat, anti-oxidation, antibacterial and other activities. Although G. applanatum is widely used in traditional medicine and has diverse chemical constituents, more studies should be carried out in animals and humans to evaluate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in its biological activity.

Mushrooms and Fungi and Their Biological Compounds with Antidiabetic Activity: A Review

Mushrooms have been used by humans for centuries as food and medicine because they have been shown to affect certain diseases. Mushrooms for medicinal purposes have been consumed in the form of extracts and/or biomass of the mycelium or fruiting body. The beneficial health effects of mushrooms are due to their content of bioactive compounds (polysaccharides, proteins, ergosterol, lectins, etc.). On the other hand, diabetes is one of the metabolic diseases that affects the population worldwide, characterized by hyperglycemia that involves a defective metabolism of insulin, a hormone secreted by β cells and that mainly stimulates glucose absorption by the cells. However, it also affects the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins; poor control of this disease leads to serious damage to eyesight, kidneys, bones, heart, skin, blood vessels, nerves, etc. It has been reported that the consumption of some mushrooms helps control and treat diabetes, since among other actions, they promote the secretion of insulin by the pancreas, help reduce blood glucose and have α-glucosidase inhibitory activity which improves glucose uptake by cells, which are effects that prescription medications have for patients with diabetes. In that sense, this manuscript shows a review of scientific studies that support the abilities of some mushrooms to be used in the control and/or treatment of diabetes.

Effect of Methyl Jasmonate Elicitation on Triterpene Production and Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activity of Mycelial Culture Extracts of Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat

Abiotic elicitation, a well-known strategy in mushroom biotechnology, promotes increased accumulation of secondary metabolites in mycelial cultures. The study aimed the effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the production of triterpenes in submerged cultures of Ganoderma applanatum. Further, the study evaluated the cytotoxic activity of the extract corresponding to the optimal elicitation variant in selected human cancer cell lines as well as the selectivity against normal cells. MeJA was added on days 1, 4, 6, and 8 in the 10-day growth cycle at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 µM MeJA. The HPLC-DAD was used to analyze the triterpenes. The cytotoxic activity was tested using the MTTFc assay in grouped panels of skin, prostate, and gastrointestinal cancer cells. The results of the quantitative analyses confirmed the stimulating effect of MeJA on the production of ganoderic acid A and ganoderic acid C. The greatest increase in total triterpenes was found on day 6 of the culture cycle compared to the control group-with the concentration of MeJA-150 µM. Compared to the control samples, mycelial culture extract after the most productive elicitation variant showed significant cytotoxic activity against prostate cancer cells and moderate effects on melanoma cells. Ganoderma applanatum mycelial cultures can be proposed as a model to study the dynamics of the accumulation of compounds with therapeutic values through abiotic elicitation.

β-Glucans as a panacea for a healthy heart? Their roles in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Factors increasing the risks for CVD development are related to obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and lifestyle. CVD risk factors may be treated with appropriate drugs, but prolonged can use cause undesirable side-effects. Among the natural products used in complementary and alternative medicines, are the β-ᴅ-glucans; biopolymers found in foods (cereals, mushrooms), and can easily be produced by microbial fermentation. Independent of source, β-glucans of the mixed-linked types [(1 → 3)(1 → 6)-β-ᴅ-glucans - fungal, and (1 → 3)(1 → 4)-β-ᴅ-glucans - cereal] have widely been studied because of their biological activities, and have demonstrated cardiovascular protective effects. In this review, we discuss the roles of β-ᴅ-glucans in various pathophysiological conditions that lead to CVDs including obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, hypertension, atherosclerosis and stroke. The β-glucans from all of the sources cited demonstrated potential hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic and anti-obesogenicity activities, reduced hypertension and ameliorated the atherosclerosis condition. More recently, β-glucans are recognized as possessing prebiotic properties that modulate the gut microbiome and impact on the health benefits including cardiovascular. Overall, all the studies investigated unequivocally demonstrated the dietary benefits of consuming β-glucans regardless of source, thus constituting a promising panaceutical approach to reduce CVD risk factors.

Role of edible mushroom as a potent therapeutics for the diabetes and obesity

Diabetes and obesity are the most frequently found disease worldwide. Several factors are responsible for obesity, i.e., imbalance in energy expenditure, environmental factors, feeding habit, lifestyle, etc., which can also be responsible for type 2 diabetes mellitus. There are several synthetic drugs available to combat these diseases which have some side effects on sufferers. Therefore, people are shifting towards inexpensive, effective, widely available natural and herbal medicines. Edible mushrooms, which have been used from ancient time to cure these diseases, contain anti-oxidant, fibers, triterpenoids, alkaloid, and other phytochemicals. Comatin, β-glucan, Tremellastin, and Lentinan KS-2 are active chemicals of mushrooms which show great effect on diabetes mellitus and obesity by modulating either cellular function or biochemical pathways. Here, in this review, we have discussed the potential role of edible mushrooms and its biochemicals in control of diabetes and obesity. Using Bioinformatics, we can find the specific targets of theses biochemicals, so that these can be more effective.

Anti-Obesity Effects of Medicinal and Edible Mushrooms

Obesity is a group of metabolic disorders caused by multiple factors, including heredity, diet, lifestyle, societal determinants, environment, and infectious agents, which can all lead to the enhancement of storage body fat. Excess visceral fat mass in adipose tissue generate several metabolic disorders, including cardiovascular diseases with chronic inflammation based pathophysiology. The objective of the current review is to summarize the cellular mechanisms of obesity that attenuate by antioxidant potentials of medicinal and edible mushrooms. Studies have showed that mushrooms potentially have antioxidant capacities, which increase the antioxidant defense systems in cells. They boost anti-inflammatory actions and thereby protect against obesity-related hypertension and dyslipidemia. The practice of regular consumption of mushrooms is effective in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, and thus could be a good candidate for use in future pharmaceutical or nutraceutical applications.

Dietary effect of Pleurotus eryngii on biochemical function and histology in hypercholesterolemic rats

This work was conducted to investigate diet supplement of king oyster mushroom fruiting bodies on biochemical and histological changes in hypercholesterolemic rats. Six-week old female Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into three groups of 10 rats each. The feeding of 5% powder of the fruiting bodies of Pleurotus eryngii to hypercholesterolemic rats reduced their plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, total lipid, phospholipids, and LDL/HDL ratio by 24.05%, 46.33%, 62.50%, 24.63%, 19.22%, and 57.14%, respectively. Mushroom also significantly reduced body weight in hypercholesterolemic rats. However, it had no adverse effects on plasma albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, glucose, total protein, calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, inorganic phosphate, magnesium, and enzyme profiles. Feeding mushroom increased total lipid and cholesterol excretion in feces. The plasma lipoprotein fraction, separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, indicated that P. eryngii significantly reduced plasma β and pre-β-lipoprotein, while increased α-lipoprotein. A histological study of hepatic cells by conventional hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining showed normal findings for mushroom-fed hypercholesterolemic rat. The present study suggests that 5% P. eryngii diet supplement provided health benefits by acting on the atherogenic lipid profile in hypercholesterolaemic rats. Therefore, king oyster mushroom could be recommended as a natural cholesterol lowering substance within the human diet.

Antihyperlipidemic Effect of Dietary Lentinus edodes on Plasma, Feces and Hepatic Tissues in Hypercholesterolemic Rats

We investigated diet supplementation with shiitake mushroom fruiting bodies on biochemical and histological changes in hypercholesterolemic rats. Six-wk old female Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into three groups of 10 rats each. A diet containing 5% Lentinus edodes fruiting bodies given to hypercholesterolemic rats reduced plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total lipid, phospholipids, and the LDL/high-density lipoprotein ratio by 34.33, 53.21, 75.00, 34.66, 25.73, and 71.43%, respectively. Feeding mushroom also significantly reduced body weight in hypercholesterolemic rats. However, it had no detrimental effects on plasma albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, glucose, total protein, calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, inorganic phosphate, magnesium, or enzyme profiles. Feeding mushroom increased total lipid and cholesterol excretion in feces. The plasma lipoprotein fraction, separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, indicated that L. edodes significantly reduced plasma β and pre-β-lipoprotein but increased α-lipoprotein. A histological study of hepatic cells by conventional hematoxylin-eosin and oil red-O staining showed normal findings for mushroom-fed hypercholesterolemic rats. These results suggest that shiitake mushrooms could be recommended as a natural cholesterol lowering substance in the diet.

Ganoderma applanatum terpenes protect mouse liver against benzo(α)pyren-induced oxidative stress and inflammation

Ganoderma applanatum terpenes (GAT) have been reported to have many benefits and medicinal properties. In this study, we evaluated the protective effect of GAT against benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) induced oxidative stress and inflammation in mouse liver, and explored the potential mechanism of its action. Our data showed that GAT significantly decreased levels of ALT and AST in serum and the liver histological injury in BaP-treated mice. GAT markedly decreased the levels of ROS, MDA and lowered the GSH/GSSG ratio in the liver of BaP-treated mice. Furthermore, GAT markedly inhibited the BaP-induced increase of Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT, GPx and GST activities in the mouse liver. Western blot analysis showed that GAT significantly inhibited inflammation by pressing the expression of IL-1β and COX-2 and inhibiting NF-κB translocation in the liver of BaP-treated mice. In conclusion, these results suggested that GAT could protect the mouse liver against BaP-induced injury by improving hepatic function, attenuating histopathologic changes, decreasing levels of ROS and MDA, renewing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and suppressing inflammatory response.

Hypolipidemic Activities of Dietary Pleurotus ostreatus in Hypercholesterolemic Rats

This work was conducted to investigate dietary supplementation of oyster mushroom fruiting bodies on biochemical and histological changes in hyper and normocholesterolemic rats. Six-week old female Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into three groups of 10 rats each. Feeding a diet containing a 5% powder of Pleurotus ostreatus fruiting bodies to hypercholesterolemic rats reduced plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total lipid, phospholipids, and LDL/high-density lipoprotein ratio by 30.18, 52.75, 59.62, 34.15, 23.89, and 50%, respectively. Feeding oyster mushrooms also significantly reduced body weight in hypercholesterolemic rats. However, it had no adverse effects on plasma albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, creatinin, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, glucose, total protein, calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, inorganic phosphate, magnesium, or enzyme profiles. Feeding mushroom increased total lipid and cholesterol excretion in feces. The plasma lipoprotein fraction, separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, indicated that P. ostreatus significantly reduced plasma β and pre-β-lipoprotein but increased α-lipoprotein. A histological study of hepatic cells by conventional hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining revealed normal findings for mushroom-fed hypercholesterolemic rats. These results suggest that a 5% P. ostreatus diet supplement provided health benefits by acting on the atherogenic lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rats.