Diversity of Cantharellus (Cantharellales, Basidiomycota) in China with Description of Some New Species and New Records

Insights into chemical components, health-promoting effects, and processing impact of golden chanterelle mushroom Cantharellus cibarius

Cantharellus cibarius (CC) is a culinary mushroom with significant commercial potential due to its diverse components and bioactive functions. CC is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and aroma compounds while being low in fat and calories. Moreover, CC contains an abundance of bioactive substances including phenolic compounds, vitamin precursors, and indole derivatives. Numerous studies have claimed that CC has diverse functions such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunoregulation, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, and prebiotic effects in in vivo or in vitro settings. In addition, a variety of thermal, physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods have been investigated for the processing and preservation of CC. Consequently, this study aims to present a comprehensive review of the chemical composition, health benefits, and processing techniques of CC. Furthermore, the issue of heavy metal accumulation in CC has been indicated and discussed. The study highlights the potential of CC as a functional food in the future while providing valuable insights for future research and identifying areas requiring further investigation.

A Contribution to the Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Hydnum (Cantharellales, Basidiomycota) from China

Hydnum is a well-characterized genus in the family Hydnaceae of Cantharellales and is characterized by spinose hymenophores. In this study, an ITS phylogenetic overview and a multilocus (ITS-nrLSU-tef1) phylogenetic tree of Hydnum were carried out. On the basis of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic results, seven species from China were confirmed, described, illustrated, and compared with similar species, including three new species, i.e., H. longipes, H. microcarpum, and H. sinorepandum, and four known species, i.e., H. cremeoalbum, H. melitosarxm, H. orientalbidum, and H. pinicola were recorded for the first time in China. A key to the species of Hydnum in China was provided.

Updated taxonomy of Chinese Cantharellus subgenera Afrocantharellus and Magni (Hydnaceae, Cantharellales): Three new taxa and amended descriptions of one previous species

Cantharellus, one of the main genera of Hydnaceae (Cantharellales), is both ecologically and economically important. Although many studies have focused on this genus in China, the taxonomy should be further updated. In the present study, Cantharellus subgenera Afrocantharellus and Magni were investigated based on morphology and molecular phylogenetic analyses with new collections from China. Five phylogenetic species were recognized among the studied collections, three of which were described as new: C. bellus, C. cineraceus, and C. laevigatus; one was previously described taxon: C. hygrophoroides; and the remaining species was not defined due to the paucity of the materials. Among the four described species, both C. bellus and C. laevigatus are members of subgen. Magni, whereas C. cineraceus and C. hygrophoroides belong to subgen. Afrocantharellus.

Fungal Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and Ecology: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Academician Wen-Ying Zhuang

We are honored and privileged to edit this Special Issue, "Fungal Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and Ecology: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Academician Wen-Ying Zhuang" [...].

A Molecular Systematics and Taxonomy Research on Trechispora (Hydnodontaceae, Trechisporales): Concentrating on Three New Trechispora Species from East Asia

Trechispora are an important genus of wood-inhabiting fungi that have the ability to decompose rotten wood in the forest ecosystem. In this study, we reported three new species of Trechispora: T. murina, T. odontioidea, T. olivacea from a subtropical region of Yunnan Province, China. Species descriptions were based on a combination of morphological features and phylogenetic analyses of the ITS and LSU region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Trechispora murina is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata, grandinioid hymenial surface with a greyish tint, monomitic hyphal system and ellipsoid, thick-walled, ornamented basidiospores; T. odontioidea has an odontioid hymenial surface with cylindrical to conical, blunt aculei and subglobose to globose, colorless, slightly thick-walled, ornamented basidiospores; T. olivacea has a farinaceous hymenial surface with olivaceous tint, basidia clavate and thick-walled, ornamented, broadly ellipsoid to globose basidiospores. Sequences of the ITS and nLSU rDNA markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. After a series of phylogenetic analyses, the 5.8S+nLSU dataset was constructed to test the phylogenetic relationship of Trechispora with other genera of Hydnodontaceae. The ITS dataset was used to evaluate the phylogenetic relationship of the three new species with other species of Trechispora. Using ITS phylogeny, the new species T. murina was retrieved as a sister to T. bambusicola with moderate supports; T. odontioidea formed a single lineage and then grouped with T. fimbriata and T. nivea; while T. olivacea formed a monophyletic lineage with T. farinacea, T. hondurensis, and T. mollis.