The Medicinal Values of Culinary-Medicinal Royal Sun Mushroom (Agaricus blazei Murrill)

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

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.

Bioconversion of Agricultural Wastes into a Value-Added Product: Straw of Norwegian Grains Composted with Dairy Manure Food Waste Digestate in Mushroom Cultivation

Commercial mushroom production is based on composted locally available agro-industrial wastes rich in carbon and nitrogen such as wheat straw supplemented with chicken manure. Either component can be replaced by other kinds of grain straw: barley, oat, or a mixture of different straw types and combined with diary manure—food waste digestate after anaerobic biogas digestion. Original, unseparated liquid digestate is nutritious, rich in nitrogen and organic matter. This research aimed to investigate the effect of digestate and different straw ratios on the composting process and productivity and their consequent effect on mushroom cultivation parameters of Agaricus subrufescens. All investigated experimental mushroom compost (EMC) types worked well during the composting process, reaching the desired moisture of 65–75%, N content of 1.43–1.93%, and a C/N ratio ranging from 21.5 to 29.1, supporting growth of mycelium and producing mushrooms. Supplementation with barley straw resulted in better EMC structure with the highest yield and biological efficiency (BE) (157.9 g kg−1; 64%), whereas oat addition gave the lowest yield and BE (88.6 g kg−1 and 38%). Precociousness (yield at mid-cycle of the crop development) was higher for oat substrates (68.9%), while earliness (days to harvest from casing) was lower for barley EMC.

Selection and Evaluation of Potential Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Agaricus blazei Based on Transcriptome Sequencing Data

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is widely used to detect gene expression due to its high sensitivity, high throughput, and convenience. The accurate choice of reference genes is required for normalization of gene expression in qRT-PCR analysis. In order to identify the optimal candidates for gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR in Agaricus blazei, we studied the potential reference genes in this economically important edible fungus. In this study, transcriptome datasets were used as source for identification of candidate reference genes. And 27 potential reference genes including 21 newly stable genes, three classical housekeeping genes, and homologous genes of three ideal reference genes in Volvariella volvacea, were screened based on transcriptome datasets of A. blazei and previous studies. The expression stability of these genes was investigated by qRT-PCR analysis and further evaluated by four software packages, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. Among these candidates, α-TUB (Tubulin alpha) and Cox5a (COX5A subunit VA of cytochrome c oxidase) were revealed as the most stable in fruit body, and suitable for 5 different developmental stages. α-TUB and ATP3 (ATP3 gamma subunit of the F1 sector of mitochondrial F1F0 ATP synthase) showed the most stable expression in stipe tissues and, Uqcrc (core subunit of the ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase complex) and PUP3 (20S proteasome subunit beta 3) performed well in pileus tissues during the process of A. blazei development, while GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) was among the least stable genes in all sample sets. Finally, the Ableln3 (homology of eln3 gene of Coprinus cinereus) was adopted to validate the reliability of these stable and unstable reference genes, indicating that the use of unsuitable reference genes as internal controls could change the target gene’s expression pattern. This study can provide guidance for choosing reference genes for analyzing the expression pattern of target genes and facilitate the functional genomic investigation on fruit body formation and development, as well as stipe elongation and pileus expansion in A. blazei.

Agaricus blazei extract (FA-2-b-β) induces apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukemia cells

Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) is a mushroom belonging to the Basidiomycetes family, which is believed to have antitumor and antioxidative activities. Proteoglycans and ergosterol are considered the key compounds of AbM for antitumor properties and so are used in complementary and alternative medicine as an anticancer drug. AbM is used to avoid serious side effects that would inevitably affect patients. Currently, the efficacy of AbM against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has not been established. The present study aimed to investigate the antitumor activities of the acidic RNA protein complex, FA-2-b-β, extracted from wild edible AbM. The CML K562 cells or primary CML bone marrow (BM) cells were treated with FA-2-b-β at different concentrations and time points. CML cell line proliferation and apoptosis were determined using the CCK-8 assay or Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) labeling, RT-qPCR and western blotting was performed to determine the involvement of the Wnt/β-catenin-associated apoptotic pathway. The results of the present study demonstrated that FA-2-b-β has a high anti-proliferative potency and strong pro-apoptotic effects. Thus, daily intake of mushrooms containing FA-2-b-β may be an adequate source as an alternative medicine in the management of CML, and may provide useful information for the development of a novel therapeutic target in this area.

Antitumor, Anti-Inflammatory and Antiallergic Effects of Agaricus blazei Mushroom Extract and the Related Medicinal Basidiomycetes Mushrooms, Hericium erinaceus and Grifola frondosa: A Review of Preclinical and Clinical Studies

Since the 1980s, medicinal effects have been documented in scientific studies with the related Basidiomycota mushrooms Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM), Hericium erinaceus (HE) and Grifola frondosa (GF) from Brazilian and Eastern traditional medicine. Special focus has been on their antitumor effects, but the mushrooms' anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties have also been investigated. The antitumor mechanisms were either direct tumor attack, e.g., apoptosis and metastatic suppression, or indirect defense, e.g., inhibited tumor neovascularization and T helper cell (Th) 1 immune response. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms were a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and changed gut microbiota, and the antiallergic mechanism was amelioration of a skewed Th1/Th2 balance. Since a predominant Th2 milieu is also found in cancer, which quite often is caused by a local chronic inflammation, the three conditions-tumor, inflammation and allergy-seem to be linked. Further mechanisms for HE were increased nerve and beneficial gut microbiota growth, and oxidative stress regulation. The medicinal mushrooms AbM, HE and GF appear to be safe, and can, in fact, increase longevity in animal models, possibly due to reduced tumorigenesis and oxidation. This article reviews preclinical and clinical findings with these mushrooms and the mechanisms behind them.

Genome Survey and Transcriptome Analysis on Mycelia and Primordia of Agaricus blazei

Agaricus blazei, a type of edible straw-rotting mushroom with somewhat sweet taste and fragrance of almonds, has attracted considerable scientific and practical attention. High-throughput Illumina PE150 and PacBio RSII platform were employed to generate a genomic sequence. De novo assembly generated 36 contigs with 38,686,133 bp in size, containing 10,119 putative predicted genes. Additionally, we also studied transcriptional regulation of the mycelia and the primordia for exploration of genes involved in fruiting body formation. Expression profiling analysis revealed that 2,164 genes were upregulated in mycelia and 1,557 in primordia. Functional enrichment showed that differentially expressed genes associated with response to stress, ribosome biogenesis, arginine biosynthesis, and steroid biosynthesis pathway were more active in fruiting body. The genome and transcriptome analysis of A. blazei provide valuable sequence resources and contribute to our understanding of genes related to the biosynthesis pathway of polysaccharide and benzaldehyde, as well as the fruiting body formation.

Agaricus brasiliensis KA21 May Prevent Diet-Induced Nash Through Its Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Fibrotic Activities in the Liver

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive disease that occurs in the liver. As the number of people with NASH has increased, effective prevention and treatment strategies are needed. Agaricus brasiliensis KA21 (AGA) is a mushroom native to Brazil and is considered a healthy food because of its purported health benefits, including its antioxidant properties. In this study, we focused on the oxidative stress that accompanies the onset of NASH and examined whether AGA can prevent NASH development through its antioxidant activity. We used a mouse model of NASH in which pathogenesis was promoted by dietary induction. Supplementation with AGA attenuated the development of hepatic fibrosis, which is a characteristic feature of late-stage NASH. This effect appeared to be mechanistically linked to an AGA-promoted reduction in hepatic oxidative stress. These results demonstrate a novel role for AGA in NASH prevention.

Nutritional value and health-promoting properties of Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach

The white button mushroom Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach is an edible mushroom of top economic significance. In recent years the consumption of fruiting bodies of this species has been increasing in Poland. The article characterises the chemical composition and health-promoting properties of white button mushrooms. The latest scientific research confirms that the fruiting bodies of white button mushroom have high nutritional value. They contain good quality proteins, necessary unsaturated fatty acids, fibre, some vitamins and numerous minerals. Apart from that, white button mushroom fruiting bodies contain a wide range of bioactive substances, which have a positive influence on health, such as polysaccharides, glyco-proteins, tocopherols, polyphenols and other antioxidants, e.g. ergothioneine. Apart from the antioxidant properties, the white button mushroom also has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, anticancer, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and anti-atherosclerotic activities.

Hot water extract of Agaricus blazei Murrill specifically inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells

Background

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive human malignancies. The development of a novel drug to treat pancreatic cancer is imperative, and it is thought that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) could yield such a candidate. Agaricus blazei Murrill is a CAM that has been tested as an anticancer drug, but its efficacy against pancreatic cancer is poorly understood. To study the potential of A. blazei in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, we examined the effects of its hot water extract on the proliferation and global gene expression profile of human pancreatic cancer cells.

Methods

Three distinct human pancreatic cancer cell lines, MIAPaCa-2, PCI-35, and PK-8, and the immortalized human pancreatic duct-epithelial cell line, HPDE, were employed. The cells were incubated with the appropriate growth medium supplemented with the hot water extract of A. blazei at final concentrations of 0.005, 0.015%, or 0.045%, and cellular proliferation was assessed for five consecutive days using an MTT assay. Apoptosis was examined by using flow cytometry and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Caspase-dependent apoptosis was assayed using immunoblotting. Global gene expression profiles were examined using a whole human genome 44 K microarray, and the microarray results were validated by using real-time reverse transcription PCR.

Results

The hot water extract of A. blazei significantly inhibited the proliferation of cultured pancreatic cancer cells through the induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis; the effect was the smallest in HPDE cells. Furthermore, significant alterations in the global gene expression profiles of pancreatic cancer cells occurred following treatment with the hot water extract of A. blazei. Genes associated with kinetochore function, spindle formation, and centromere maintenance were particularly affected, as well as cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases that are essential for cell cycle progression. In addition, proapoptotic genes were upregulated.

Conclusions

The hot water extract of A. blazei may be useful for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and is a potential candidate for the isolation of novel, active compounds specific for mitotic spindle dysfunction.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-018-2385-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.