Mushrooms and Health Summit proceedings

Mushroom consumption and cardiometabolic health outcomes in the general population: a systematic review

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Mushroom consumption, rich in diverse nutrients and bioactive compounds, is suggested as a potential significant contributor to preventing cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs). This systematic review aimed to explore the association between mushrooms and cardiometabolic health outcomes, utilizing data from prospective cohort studies and clinical trials focusing on the general population, with mushrooms themselves as a major exposure.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

All original articles, published in English until July 2023, were identified through searches on PubMed, Ovid-Embase, and google scholar. Of 1,328 studies, we finally selected 5 prospective cohort studies and 4 clinical trials.

RESULTS

Existing research is limited, typically consisting of 1 to 2 studies for each CMD and cardiometabolic condition. Examination of articles revealed suggestive associations in some cardiometabolic conditions including blood glucose (both fasting and postprandial), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol related indices, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and obesity indices (body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference). However, mushroom consumption showed no association with the mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, although there was a potentially beneficial connection with all cause-mortality, hyperuricemia, and metabolic syndrome.

CONCLUSION

Due to the scarcity of available studies, drawing definitive conclusions is premature. Further comprehensive investigations are needed to clarify the precise nature and extent of this relationship before making conclusive recommendations for the general population.

The Nutritional Benefit of UV-Exposed Mushrooms for the Dutch Population: Modeling the Addition of UV-Exposed Mushrooms to the Diet

Background

Mushrooms are rich in fiber and vitamins B and vitamin D when exposed to UV light and are sometimes used as a meat substitute. A modeling study showed that adding a mushroom portion (84 g/d) to the diet of an American population caused a significant improvement in the intake of several nutrients.

Objective

To study the association between habitual intake of mushrooms and nutrient intake and to assess the change in micronutrient intake with the modeled addition of 60 or 84 grams of UV-exposed mushrooms to the diet of the Dutch population, with a subanalysis on subjects with a low animal: plant protein ratio.

Methods

A modeling study was conducted in 3121 Dutch persons aged 9-80 y, using cross-sectional data from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2012-2016. Linear regression was used to explore the association between habitual intake of mushrooms and nutrients. Habitual intake and nutritional adequacy were calculated before and after the modeled addition of mushrooms.

Results

A small association was observed between the habitual intake of mushrooms and the intake of copper, niacin, and vitamin B2 (beta ranging from 0.002 to 0.039). The modeled addition of UV-exposed mushrooms increased the intakes of plant protein (by 5-7%), fiber (4-6%), niacin (10-20%), vitamin D (176-388%), folate (11-17%), potassium (6-10%), and copper (29-48%). Nutritional adequacy also improved significantly. For subjects with a low animal:plant protein ratio, the added mushrooms increased the intakes of niacin (11-22%), potassium (6-11%), and vitamin D (190-445%).

Conclusions

Consumption of mushrooms contributes to higher intakes of copper, niacin, and vitamin B2. Addition of UV-exposed mushrooms to the diet of the Dutch further improves nutrient intakes and, most notably, vitamin D, especially for people with low animal food consumption.

Edible mushroom intake and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality: results from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) Cohort

Mushroom is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and essential amino acids. A relationship between mushroom consumption and a lower all-cause mortality risk has been reported. This study aimed to examine the association of mushroom consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Data were extracted from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study cohort. Mortality outcomes were confirmed from 2001-2020 death records provided by the Korea National Statistical Office. Mushroom intake was assessed using food frequency questionnaires and categorized into four groups: none, <1 serving per week, 1-3 servings per week, and ≥3 servings per week. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality. The 152 828 participants ≥40 years had a mean age of 53.7 years. Over a mean 11.6-year follow-up, 7085 deaths were recorded. In men, consuming <1 and 1-3 servings per week of mushroom was associated with lower risks of all-cause (HR = 0.858, 95% CI = 0.793-0.929; HR = 0.902, 95% CI = 0.819-0.993) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (HR = 0.767, 95% CI = 0.632-0.930; HR = 0.762, 95% CI = 0.601-0.967) mortality than non-consumption. In women, consuming <1 and 1-3 servings per week of mushrooms was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.864, 95% CI = 0.784-0.952; HR = 0.869, 95% CI = 0.771-0.980) than non-consumption. This prospective cohort study demonstrated that low and medium mushroom consumption is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in men and women. However, only men who consumed <1 and 1-3 servings per week of mushrooms exhibited a lower risk of CVD mortality.

Bioreactors, scaffolds and microcarriers and in vitro meat production-current obstacles and potential solutions

In vitro meat production presents a potential viable alternative for meat consumption, which could provide the consumer with a product indistinguishable from the original, with very similar nutritional and culinary values. Indeed, the alternative products currently accessible often lack comparable nutritional value or culinary attributes to their animal-derived counterparts. This creates challenges for their global acceptance, particularly in countries where meat consumption holds cultural significance. However, while cultured meat research has been progressing rapidly in recent years, some significant obstacles still need to be overcome before its possible commercialization. Hence, this review summarizes the most current knowledge regarding the history of cultured meat, the currently used cell sources and methods used for the purpose of in vitro meat production, with particular focus on the role of bioreactors, scaffolds and microcarriers in overcoming the current obstacles. The authors put the potential microcarrier and scaffold-based solutions in a context, discussing the ways in which they can impact the way forward for the technology, including the use of considering the potential practical and societal barriers to implementing it as a viable food source worldwide.

Medicinal Mushrooms: Their Bioactive Components, Nutritional Value and Application in Functional Food Production-A Review

Medicinal mushrooms, e.g., Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers.), Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst.), Chaga (Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát), Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones and Spatafora), Shiitake (Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler), and Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd), are considered new-generation foods and are of growing interest to consumers. They are characterised by a high content of biologically active compounds, including (1,3)(1,6)-β-d-glucans, which are classified as dietary fibre, triterpenes, phenolic compounds, and sterols. Thanks to their low-fat content, they are a low-calorie product and are classified as a functional food. They have a beneficial effect on the organism through the improvement of its overall health and nutritional level. The biologically active constituents contained in medicinal mushrooms exhibit anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and immunomodulatory effects. In addition, these mushrooms accelerate metabolism, help fight obesity, and slow down the ageing processes thanks to their high antioxidant activity. The vast therapeutic properties of mushrooms are still not fully understood. Detailed mechanisms of the effects of medicinal mushrooms on the human organism still require long-term clinical studies to confirm their nutraceutical effects, their safety of use, and their dosage. Medicinal mushrooms have great potential to be used in the design of innovative functional foods. There is a need for further research on the possibility of incorporating mushrooms into food products to assess the interactions of their bioactive substances with ingredients in the food matrix. This review focuses on the properties of selected medicinal mushrooms and their effects on the human organism and presents current knowledge on the possibilities of their use in the production of functional foods.

OMICS and Other Advanced Technologies in Mycological Applications

Fungi play many roles in different ecosystems. The precise identification of fungi is important in different aspects. Historically, they were identified based on morphological characteristics, but technological advancements such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing now enable more accurate identification and taxonomy, and higher-level classifications. However, some species, referred to as "dark taxa", lack distinct physical features that makes their identification challenging. High-throughput sequencing and metagenomics of environmental samples provide a solution to identifying new lineages of fungi. This paper discusses different approaches to taxonomy, including PCR amplification and sequencing of rDNA, multi-loci phylogenetic analyses, and the importance of various omics (large-scale molecular) techniques for understanding fungal applications. The use of proteomics, transcriptomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and interactomics provides a comprehensive understanding of fungi. These advanced technologies are critical for expanding the knowledge of the Kingdom of Fungi, including its impact on food safety and security, edible mushrooms foodomics, fungal secondary metabolites, mycotoxin-producing fungi, and biomedical and therapeutic applications, including antifungal drugs and drug resistance, and fungal omics data for novel drug development. The paper also highlights the importance of exploring fungi from extreme environments and understudied areas to identify novel lineages in the fungal dark taxa.

Mushroom consumption and risk of gastric cancer: a pooled analysis within the stomach cancer pooling project and a combined meta-analysis with other observational studies

Edible mushrooms have high concentrations of vitamins and minerals. They are considered 'functional foods' for their disease-prevention properties. Mushroom consumption may reduce the risk of gastric cancer, the fifth most common cancer worldwide. We investigated the association between mushroom consumption and gastric cancer risk in a pooled analysis within the Stomach Cancer Pooling (StoP) Project and in a meta-analysis that also included previously published studies. A total of 3900 gastric cancer cases and 7792 controls from 11 studies were included in the StoP analysis. Mushroom consumption was measured using food frequency questionnaires. Higher mushroom consumption was associated with a lower risk of gastric cancer [relative risk (RR) for the highest vs. lowest consumption categories, 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71-0.95]. The corresponding RRs were 0.59 (95% CI, 0.26-1.33) in a meta-analysis of four previously published studies and 0.77 for all studies combined (95% CI, 0.63-0.95; n = 15 studies). In geographic subgroup analysis, the pooled risk in Western Pacific countries was (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.40-0.87; n = 6). The stronger effect in Asian countries may reflect high level of antioxidants in mushroom species consumed in Asia.

Antioxidant Compounds from Edible Mushrooms as Potential Candidates for Treating Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases

The last century has seen an increase in our life expectancy. As a result, various age-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), have emerged, representing new challenges to society. Oxidative stress (OS), a condition of redox imbalance resulting from excessive production of reactive oxygen species, represents a common feature that characterizes the brains of elderly people, thus contributing to NDs. Consequently, antioxidant supplementation or dietary intake of antioxidant-containing foods could represent an effective preventive and therapeutic intervention to maintain the integrity and survival of neurons and to counteract the neurodegenerative pathologies associated with aging. Food contains numerous bioactive molecules with beneficial actions for human health. To this purpose, a wide range of edible mushrooms have been reported to produce different antioxidant compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, polysaccharides, vitamins, carotenoids, ergothioneine, and others, which might be used for dietary supplementation to enhance antioxidant defenses and, consequently, the prevention of age-related neurological diseases. In this review, we summarized the role of oxidative stress in age-related NDs, focusing on the current knowledge of the antioxidant compounds present in edible mushrooms, and highlighting their potential to preserve healthy aging by counteracting age-associated NDs.

Edible Mushrooms as Source of Fibrin(ogen)olytic Enzymes: Comparison between Four Cultivated Species

Cardiovascular diseases represent the main cause of death. A common feature of cardiovascular disease is thrombosis resulting from intravascular accumulation of fibrin. In the last years, several fibrinolytic enzymes have been discovered in many medicinal or edible mushrooms as potential new antithrombotic agents. This study aimed to compare the fibrin(ogen)olytic activity of crude extracts from the fruiting bodies of four cultivated edible mushrooms: Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus eryngii, and Agrocybe aegerita. Fibrin(ogen)olytic activity was assessed by fibrin plate, spectrophotometric assay and electrophoretic analysis (SDS-PAGE and zymography). The highest activity was detected for P. ostreatus followed by P. eryngii, L. edodes and A. aegerita. Results indicated that enzymes exhibited maximum activity at pH 6-7 and 30-40 °C, respectively. Enzyme activity was inhibited by serine and metalloprotease inhibitors. We proposed a new index called the Specific Fibrin(ogen)olytic Index (SFI), which allows specification of the proportion of the total proteolytic capacity due to the fibrin(ogen)olytic activity. These data suggest that the extracts from fruiting bodies or powdered mushrooms can be used as functional ingredients for the development of new functional foods that may act as thrombolytic agents responding, at the same time, to the increasing demand for safe, healthy and sustainable food.

Association of Mushrooms and Algae Consumption with Mortality among Chinese Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study

Mushrooms and algae are important sources of dietary bioactive compounds, but their associations with mortality remain unclear. We examined the association of mushrooms and algae consumption with subsequent risk of all-cause mortality among older adults. This study included 13,156 older adults aged 65 years and above in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2008–2018). Consumption of mushrooms and algae at baseline and age of 60 were assessed using a simplified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During 74,976 person-years of follow-up, a total of 8937 death cases were documented. After adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, and other dietary factors, participants who consumed mushrooms and algae at least once per week had a lower risk of all-cause mortality than rare consumers (0–1 time per year) (HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.80–0.93). Compared to participants with rare intake at both age 60 and the study baseline (average age of 87), those who maintained regular consumptions over time had the lowest hazard of mortality (HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.76–0.98). Our findings supported the potential beneficial role of long-term consumption of mushrooms and algae in reducing all-cause mortality among older adults. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the health benefit for longevity of specific types of mushrooms and algae.

A Single Aspergillus fumigatus Gene Enables Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Secretion by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The naturally occurring sulphur-containing histidine derivative, ergothioneine (EGT), exhibits potent antioxidant properties and has been proposed to confer human health benefits. Although it is only produced by select fungi and prokaryotes, likely to protect against environmental stress, the GRAS organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not produce EGT naturally. Herein, it is demonstrated that the recombinant expression of a single gene, Aspergillus fumigatus egtA, in S. cerevisiae results in EgtA protein presence which unexpectedly confers complete EGT biosynthetic capacity. Both High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and LC−mass spectrometry (MS) analysis were deployed to detect and confirm EGT production in S. cerevisiae. The localisation and quantification of the resultant EGT revealed a significantly (p < 0.0001) larger quantity of EGT was extracellularly present in culture supernatants than intracellularly accumulated in 96 h yeast cultures. Methionine addition to cultures improved EGT production. The additional expression of two candidate cysteine desulfurases from A. fumigatus was thought to be required to complete EGT biosynthesis, namely AFUA_2G13295 and AFUA_3G14240, termed egt2a and egt2b in this study. However, the co-expression of egtA and egt2a in S. cerevisiae resulted in a significant decrease in the observed EGT levels (p < 0.05). The AlphaFold prediction of A. fumigatus EgtA 3-Dimensional structure illuminates the bidomain structure of the enzyme and the opposing locations of both active sites. Overall, we clearly show that recombinant S. cerevisiae can biosynthesise and secrete EGT in an EgtA-dependent manner which presents a facile means of producing EGT for biotechnological and biomedical use.

Road traffic and abiotic parameters of underlying soils determine the mineral composition and nutritive value of the mushroom Macrolepiota procera (Scop.) Singer

The effectiveness of accumulating mineral elements by wild-growing mushrooms depends mainly on species, their growth place, and the underlying soil's chemical characteristics. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of road traffic and the role of chemical characteristics of soil on the mineral composition of Macrolepiota procera fruit bodies growing in close proximity to a road and an adjacent forest during a four-year period. The concentrations of the majority elements (mainly Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ti, and Zn) in the soil near the road were significantly higher than those in the forest soil, which was reflected in the fruit bodies which contained a higher amount of these elements. While the accumulation of heavy metals and other elements in the M. procera fruit bodies did not depend on the total soil organic carbon content, the degree of their decomposition determined by the C:N ratio and the individual fractions of organic carbon had a significant influence. Our studies show that soil properties are highly variable in the natural habitats of M. procera, which affects the efficiency of element accumulation. Macrolepiota procera fruit bodies growing in soil with similar chemical properties were characterized by different mineral compositions. Moreover, the obtained results indicate that the fruit bodies of edible M. procera, not only those close to roads but also at a greater distance, may contain significant amounts of toxic As and Cd, which could pose a health risk if consumed. Although most studies describing the mineral composition of M. procera fruit bodies have found no evidence to question the safety of their consumption, this species can effectively accumulate selected elements when growing immediately beside roads or in their close proximity.

Immunomodulatory activity of extracts from five edible basidiomycetes mushrooms in Wistar albino rats

Mushrooms are nutritious foods that are widely cultivated all over the world. They are rich in a range of compounds linked to improving functions of the immune system including carotenoids, alkaloids, lectins, enzymes, folates, fats, organic acids, minerals, polysaccharides, phenolics, proteins, tocopherols, terpenoids, and volatile compounds. In this study we investigated, the immunomodulatory activity in rats of the aqueous extracts of five of the most common edible mushrooms belonging to Family Basidiomycota-white-rot fungi including, Lentinula edodes, Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus columbinus, and Pleurotus sajor-caju. Male Wistar albino rats were assigned to thirteen groups and Immunosuppression was induced by oral administration of dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg), followed by oral administration of the mushroom extracts at low (200 mg/kg) and high (400 mg/kg) doses. A positive control group received the immune stimulant Echinacea extract Immulant® at (30 mg/kg), while the negative control group received only saline. From each animal, in each group, blood samples were collected after 15 days for complete blood counts and for measurement of immunologic parameters, including lysozyme activity, nitric oxide (NO) production and serum cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) levels. Results have shown that white blood cells (WBCs) and lymphocytic counts were significantly boosted by high doses of each of the five mushroom extracts (207-289% increase for WBC and 153-175% for lymphocytes) with a significant increase in lysozyme activity (110-136% increase), NO concentration (159-232% increase) and cytokines as compared to the negative control group. Histopathological examination of the rats' spleen and thymus tissues has shown marked lymphocytic proliferation that was more obvious at the higher doses. In conclusion, our results showed that the five edible mushroom extracts revealed significant immunostimulatory effects preclinically particularly, at the higher doses (400 mg/kg) which can be considered the effective dose.

Filamentous fungi for future functional food and feed

In this review, we offer our opinion of current and expected trends regarding the use of mushrooms and mycelia in food and feed. Mushrooms have provided food for millennia and production methods and species diversity have recently expanded. Beyond mushrooms, cultured fungal mycelia are now harvested as a primary product for food. Mushrooms and mycelia provide dietary protein, lipids and fatty acids, vitamins, fibre, and flavour, and can improve the organoleptic properties of processed foods (including meat analogues). Further, they are often key ingredients in nutritional or therapeutic supplements because of diverse specialised metabolites. Mycelia can also improve feed conversion efficiency, gut health, and wellbeing in livestock. New molecular tools, coupled with quality genetic data, are improving production technologies, enabling the synthesis of specialised metabolites, and creating new processing and valorisation opportunities. Production systems for submerged culture are capital intensive, but investment is required considering the scale of the protein market.

Mushrooms as Potential Sources of Active Metabolites and Medicines

Background

Mushrooms exist as an integral and vital component of the ecosystem and are very precious fungi. Mushrooms have been traditionally used in herbal medicines for many centuries.

Scope and Approach

There are a variety of medicinal mushrooms mentioned in the current work such as Agaricus, Amanita, Calocybe, Cantharellus, Cordyceps, Coprinus, Cortinarius, Ganoderma, Grifola, Huitlacoche, Hydnum, Lentinus, Morchella, Pleurotus, Rigidoporus, Tremella, Trametes sp., etc., which play a vital role in various diseases because of several metabolic components and nutritional values. Medicinal mushrooms can be identified morphologically on the basis of their size, color (white, black, yellow, brown, cream, pink and purple-brown, etc.), chemical reactions, consistency of the stalk and cap, mode of attachment of the gills to the stalk, and spore color and mass, and further identified at a molecular level by Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of gene sequencing. There are also other methods that have recently begun to be used for the identification of mushrooms such as high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), microscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), DNA sequencing, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), chemical finger printing, ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LCMS-TOF) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Lately, the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technique is also used for the identification of fungi.

Key Finding and Conclusion

Medicinal mushrooms possess various biological activities like anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective, anti-HIV, anti-diabetic, and many others that will be mentioned in this article. This manuscript will provide future direction, action mechanisms, applications, and the recent collective information of medicinal mushrooms. In addition to many unknown metabolites and patented active metabolites are also included.

Biological Properties of Vitamins of the B-Complex, Part 1: Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B5

This review summarizes the current knowledge on essential vitamins B₁, B₂, B₃, and B₅. These B-complex vitamins must be taken from diet, with the exception of vitamin B₃, that can also be synthetized from amino acid tryptophan. All of these vitamins are water soluble, which determines their main properties, namely: they are partly lost when food is washed or boiled since they migrate to the water; the requirement of membrane transporters for their permeation into the cells; and their safety since any excess is rapidly eliminated via the kidney. The therapeutic use of B-complex vitamins is mostly limited to hypovitaminoses or similar conditions, but, as they are generally very safe, they have also been examined in other pathological conditions. Nicotinic acid, a form of vitamin B₃, is the only exception because it is a known hypolipidemic agent in gram doses. The article also sums up: (i) the current methods for detection of the vitamins of the B-complex in biological fluids; (ii) the food and other sources of these vitamins including the effect of common processing and storage methods on their content; and (iii) their physiological function.

The Fairy Chemical Imidazole-4-Carboxamide Inhibits the Expression of Axl, PD-L1, and PD-L2 and Improves Response to Cisplatin in Melanoma

The leading cause of death worldwide is cancer. Many reports have proved the beneficial effect of mushrooms in cancer. However, the precise mechanism is not completely clear. In the present study, we focused on the medicinal properties of biomolecules released by fairy ring-forming mushrooms. Fairy chemicals generally stimulate or inhibit the growth of surrounding vegetation. In the present study, we evaluated whether fairy chemicals (2-azahypoxanthine, 2-aza-8-oxohypoxanthine, and imidazole-4-carboxamide) exert anticancer activity by decreasing the expression of Axl and immune checkpoint molecules in melanoma cells. We used B16F10 melanoma cell lines and a melanoma xenograft model in the experiments. Treatment of melanoma xenograft with cisplatin combined with imidazole-4-carboxamide significantly decreased the tumor volume compared to untreated mice or mice treated cisplatin alone. In addition, mice treated with cisplatin and imidazole-4-carboxamide showed increased peritumoral infiltration of T cells compared to mice treated with cisplatin alone. In vitro studies showed that all fairy chemicals, including imidazole-4-carboxamide, inhibit the expression of immune checkpoint molecules and Axl compared to controls. Imidazole-4-carboxamide also significantly blocks the cisplatin-induced upregulation of PD-L1. These observations point to the fairy chemical imidazole-4-carboxamide as a promising coadjuvant therapy with cisplatin in patients with cancer.

Health Consequences of Improving the Content of Ergothioneine in the Food Supply

Ergothioneine (ERGO) is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory amino acid that is highly bioavailable to humans from the diet. ERGO is now regarded by some as a "longevity vitamin" that has the potential to mitigate some chronic diseases of aging and thereby increase life expectancy when present in adequate amounts. However, only limited knowledge exists regarding ERGO content in the human diet. Since ERGO is produced primarily by fungi, mushrooms are known to be the leading dietary source, but ERGO is found in relatively low amounts throughout the food chain as a result of soil-borne fungi or bacteria passing it on to plants through their roots. Some conventional agricultural practices that negatively impact soil fungi, such as excessive soil disturbance (plowing), can significantly reduce ERGO content of food crops when compared to regenerative practices such as eliminating tillage of the soil (No-Till). This has led us to the concept that ERGO may be a definitive connection between soil health and human health.

Assessment role of total phenols and flavonoids extracted from Pleurotus columbinus mushroom on the premature ovarian failure induced by chemotherapy in rats

Background

Many species of mushroom contain an assortment of free radical scavengers (Phenolics and Flavonoids compounds) that have made them nutritionally beneficial and a source of expansion of drug production. In this study, we examined the preventive and remedial role of total phenol extract from Pleurotus columbines (TP) in alleviating the consequences of cyclophosphamide (CTX) on the ovaries of female rats. Rats were randomly assigned to four groups: healthy controls, cyclophosphamide (CTX), received a TP (100 mg/kg) orally daily for 14 days and curative group: CTX-TP, we determined and identified a total phenol from a mushroom extract and examined it as an antioxidant agent. To investigate the therapeutic influence, it was administrated 2 weeks after CTX. To assess the impact of TP on ovarian damage caused by CTX, ovarian hormone tests were performed such as luteinizing hormone (LH), 17-β-estradiol (E2), and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH). Besides, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in serum was evaluated, and histopathological analysis of the ovary was examined.

Results

This study indicates that treatment with TP decreased the severity of cyclophosphamide-induced ovary injury by reducing inflammation and apoptotic effects and increasing the activity of antioxidants.

Conclusions

TP could be used to alleviate cyclophosphamide-induced ovary injury.

Comparison of the Nutritional Properties and Transcriptome Profiling Between the Two Different Harvesting Periods of Auricularia polytricha

Auricularia polytricha (A. polytricha), regarded as an edible and medical mushroom, has attracted toward the research interests because of the high nutrition and bioactivity. The nutritional and medical properties of A. polytricha have been well-studied; however, research about the difference of the nutritional properties and transcriptome profiling between the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha was limited. In this study, the nutritional properties and transcriptome profiling were compared between the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha: AP_S1 (the stage for the first harvesting period) and AP_S2 (the stage for the third harvesting period). This study showed that AP_S1 had the more growth advantages than AP_S2 including biomass, auricle area and thickness, protein and calcium contents, and most species of the amino acid contents, which contributed to the higher sensory evaluation and acceptability of AP_S1. Transcriptome profiling showed that a total of 30,298 unigenes were successfully annotated in the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha. At a threshold of two-fold change, 1,415 and 3,213 unigenes were up- and downregulated, respectively. All the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis showed that the some synthesis and metabolic processes were strengthened in AP_S1, especially the synthesis and metabolism of the amino acids and protein. The enhanced energy metabolism pathways could provide more energy for AP_S1 to synthesize the nutritional substance. Moreover, the expressions of 10 selected DEGs involved in the amino acid and protein synthesis pathways and energy metabolism pathways were higher in AP_S1 compared to AP_S2, consistent with Illumina analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that compares the nutritional properties and transcriptome profiling between the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha and the results can present insights into the growth and genetic characteristics of A. polytricha.

Prospective study of dietary mushroom intake and risk of mortality: results from continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2014 and a meta-analysis

Background

Whether mushroom consumption, which is a rich source of potent antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, vitamins, and minerals (e.g., selenium & copper), is associated with a lower mortality risk is not well understood. This study aimed to examine the association between mushroom consumption and risk of mortality in a prospective cohort study and a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Methods

We followed 30,378 participants from the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) extant data (2003-2014). Dietary mushroom intake was assessed using up to two 24-h recalls. Mortality was evaluated in all participants linked to the National Death Index mortality data through December 31, 2015. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We also conducted a meta-analysis, including results from our present study and 4 other cohort studies.

Results

During a mean (SD) of 6.7 (3.4) years of follow-up, a total of 2855 death cases were documented among NHANES participants. In our analysis of continuous NHANES, we found a non-significant association between mushroom consumption and all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.67-1.06) after adjusting for demographic, major lifestyle factors, overall diet quality, and other dietary factors, including total energy. The meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, including 601,893 individuals, showed that mushroom consumption was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (pooled risk ratio: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.91, 0.98).

Conclusion

In a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, mushroom consumption was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12937-021-00738-w.

Biomolecules of mushroom: a recipe of human wellness

The Indian system of medicine - Ayurveda says "When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no use". In this context, mushroom constitutes one of the major resources for nutraceuticals. Biomolecules of mushrooms have attracted the attention of researchers around the globe due to their proven healthy attributes. They have a plenitude of health-giving properties and these range from immunomodulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anticancer, anti-HIV, antidiabetic, anticholesterolic to antiarthritic activities.Mushrooms contain both primary and secondary metabolites. The primary metabolites provide energy while the secondary metabolite exhibits medicinal properties. Hence, the mushroom can be a recipe for human wellness and will play a significant role in fighting COVID-19 pandemics and other infectious diseases.The key findings suggested in this paper refer to the exploration of health and the healing traits of biomolecules of mushrooms. This article reviews the current status of the medicinal attributes of mushrooms and their biomolecules in different diseases such as cardiovascular, diabetes, reproductive diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. The global malnutrition-related morbidity and mortality among children under five and lactating women presents a frightening picture and also a black spot on the human face. Malnutrition is responsible for more ill-health than any other cause. Mushrooms as a rich source of bioactive compounds can be claimed as "Best from the Waste" since they grow on the most abundant organic wastes of the Earth, the lignocellulosic substrate, and 'Best of the Rest' because they are excellent nutraceutical resources.

Benefit-risk assessment of metal bioavailability in edible fungi by biomimetic whole digestive tracts with digestion, metabolism, and absorption functions

As worldwide edible fungi, Lentinula edodes and Agaricus bisporus accumulate both essential and harmful metals. Metal bioavailability is important for metal benefit-risk assessment. A full functional model of digestive tracts (including digestion, metabolism, and absorption) is established. Under the digestive tract functions, the bioaccessible and bioavailable metals are released from edible fungi and absorbed by intestinal tract, respectively. Based on bioavailable metal contents in the intestine, safe dosage and maximum consumption are 43.52 g/d and 248.7 g/d for Agaricus bisporu, 20.59/328.9 g/d (for males/ female) and 132.9 g/d for Lentinus edodes; V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Cr, Cd and Pb in Agaricus bisporus and Lentinula edodes are absorbed mainly in the large intestine; Fe is mainly absorbed in small intestine; edible fungi species-specificity in metal bioavailability is observed for As and Mn, which are mainly absorbed by small and large intestine for Agaricus bisporus and Lentinus edodes, respectively; and then metal toxicity on small and large intestine is disclosed. Metal benefit-risk is assessed by the content of monolayer liposome-extracted metal in the chyme from small and large intestine, which is controlled by the gastrointestinal functions, metal and edible fungi species.

Pro-Health and Anti-Cancer Activity of Fungal Fractions Isolated from Milk-Supplemented Cultures of Lentinus (Pleurotus) Sajor-caju

The present study aimed to demonstrate Lentinus (formerly Pleurotus) sajor-caju (PSC) as a good source of pro-health substances. It has also shown that supplementation of its culture medium with cow milk may further improve its beneficial properties. Intracellular fractions from fungi grown on a medium supplemented with cow milk were analyzed using various biochemical methods for determination of the nutrient composition. Furthermore, anti-cancer properties of selected extracts were investigated on colorectal cancer cell lines (HT-29, LS 180, and SW948) in vitro. Biochemical analysis showed enrichment in health-enhancing compounds, such as proteins or polysaccharides (about 3.5- and 4.5-fold increase in concentration of proteins and carbohydratesin extracts of mycelia cultured on whole milk (PSC2-I), respectively), with a decrease in the level of free radicals (10-fold decrease in extract grown on milk and medium mixture (1:1) (PSC3-II)), which was related to increased catalase and superoxide dismutase activity (7.5-fold increase in catalase activity and 5-fold in SOD activity in PSC3-II compared to the control). Moreover, the viability of the cancer cells was diminished (to 60.0 ± 6.8% and 40.0 ± 8.6% of the control, on HT-29 and SW948 cells, respectively), along with pro-apoptotic (to 18.8 ± 11.8 and 14.7 ± 8.0% towards LS 180 and SW948 cells, respectively) and NO-secreting effects (about 2-fold increase) of the extracts. This study suggests that PSC has multiple nutritional and anti-cancer properties and can be used as a source of healthy biomolecules in modern medicine or functional foods.

Subcritical Water Extracts from Agaricus blazei Murrill's Mycelium Inhibit the Expression of Immune Checkpoint Molecules and Axl Receptor

Agaricus blazei Murrill or Himematsutake is an edible and medicinal mushroom. Agaricus blazei Murrill’s fruiting body extracts have anticancer properties, although the mechanism is unknown. Basic or organic solvents, which are hazardous for human health, are generally used to prepare Agaricus blazei Murrill’s extracts. The inhibition of immune checkpoint molecules and Axl receptor is an effective therapy in cancer. This study assessed whether subcritical water extracts of the Agaricus blazei Murrill’s fruiting body or mycelium affect the expression of Axl and immune checkpoint molecules in lung cancer cells. We used A549 cells and mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells in the experiments. We prepared subcritical water extracts from the Agaricus blazei Murrill’s fruiting body or mycelium. The subcritical water extracts from the Agaricus blazei Murrill’s fruiting body or mycelium significantly inhibited the expression of immune checkpoint molecules and Axl compared to saline-treated cells. Additionally, the hot water extract, subcritical water extract, and the hot water extraction residue subcritical water extract from the Agaricus blazei Murrill’s mycelium significantly enhanced the expression of maturation markers in dendritic cells. These observations suggest that the subcritical water extract from Agaricus blazei Murrill’s mycelium is a promising therapeutic tool for stimulating the immune response in cancer.

Macrofungi as a Nutraceutical Source: Promising Bioactive Compounds and Market Value

Macrofungi production and economic value have been increasing globally. The demand for macrofungi has expanded rapidly owing to their popularity among consumers, pleasant taste, and unique flavors. The presence of high quality proteins, polysaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, triterpene sterols, and secondary metabolites makes macrofungi an important commodity. Macrofungi are well known for their ability to protect from or cure various health problems, such as immunodeficiency, cancer, inflammation, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity. Many studies have demonstrated their medicinal properties, supported by both in vivo and in vitro experimental studies, as well as clinical trials. Numerous bioactive compounds isolated from mushrooms, such as polysaccharides, proteins, fats, phenolic compounds, and vitamins, possess strong bioactivities. Consequently, they can be considered as an important source of nutraceuticals. Numerous edible mushrooms have been studied for their bioactivities, but only a few species have made it to the market. Many species remain to be explored. The converging trends and popularity of eastern herbal medicines, natural/organic food product preference, gut-healthy products, and positive outlook towards sports nutrition are supporting the growth in the medicinal mushroom market. The consumption of medicinal mushrooms as functional food or dietary supplement is expected to markedly increase in the future. The global medicinal mushroom market size is projected to increase by USD 13.88 billion from 2018 to 2022. The global market values of promising bioactive compounds, such as lentinan and lovastatin, are also expected to rise. With such a market growth, mushroom nutraceuticals hold to be very promising in the years to come.

Edible Mushrooms as Functional Ingredients for Development of Healthier and More Sustainable Muscle Foods: A Flexitarian Approach

Consumers are increasingly interested in nutritious, safe and healthy muscle food products with reduced salt and fat that benefit their well-being. Hence, food processors are constantly in search of natural bioactive ingredients that offer health benefits beyond their nutritive values without affecting the quality of the products. Mushrooms are considered as next-generation healthy food components. Owing to their low content of fat, high-quality proteins, dietary fibre and the presence of nutraceuticals, they are ideally preferred in formulation of low-caloric functional foods. There is a growing trend to fortify muscle food with edible mushrooms to harness their goodness in terms of nutritive, bioactive and therapeutic values. The incorporation of mushrooms in muscle foods assumes significance, as it is favourably accepted by consumers because of its fibrous structure that mimics the texture with meat analogues offering unique taste and umami flavour. This review outlines the current knowledge in the literature about the nutritional richness, functional bioactive compounds and medicinal values of mushrooms offering various health benefits. Furthermore, the effects of functional ingredients of mushrooms in improving the quality and sensory attributes of nutritionally superior and next-generation healthier muscle food products are also highlighted in this paper.

Association of mushroom consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among American adults: prospective cohort study findings from NHANES III

BACKGROUND

Whether mushroom consumption, which is rich in several bioactive compounds, including the crucial antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, is inversely associated with low all-cause and cause-specific mortality remains uncertain. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the association between mushroom consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk.

METHODS

Longitudinal analyses of participants from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) extant data (1988-1994). Mushroom intake was assessed by a single 24-h dietary recall using the US Department of Agriculture food codes for recipe foods. All-cause and cause-specific mortality were assessed in all participants linked to the National Death Index mortality data (1988-2015). We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

RESULTS

Among 15,546 participants included in the current analysis, the mean (SE) age was  44.3 (0.5) years. During a mean (SD) follow-up duration of 19.5 (7.4) years , a total of 5826 deaths were documented. Participants who reported consuming mushrooms had lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with those without mushroom intake (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.73-0.98) after adjusting for demographic, major lifestyle factors, overall diet quality, and other dietary factors including total energy. When cause-specific mortality was examined, we did not observe any statistically significant associations with mushroom consumption. Consuming 1-serving of mushrooms per day instead of 1-serving of processed or red meats was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.50-0.84). We also observed a dose-response relationship between higher mushroom consumption and lower risk of all-cause mortality (P-trend = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Mushroom consumption was associated with a lower risk of total mortality in this nationally representative sample of US adults.

Comparison of Bioactive Substances Content between Commercial and Wild-Type Isolates of Pleurotus eryngii

Mushrooms belonging to Pleurotus genus have been demonstrated to have important nutritional and medicinal value and their regular intake prevent many diseases, reduce the infection probability and increase immunity. In order to investigate the bioactive compounds produced by seven commercial (‘142 F’, ‘142 E’, ‘D+’, ‘V turbo’, ‘V 142’, ‘A 12’, ‘V 160’) and five wild-type (‘Albino 1107’, ‘Altamura 1603’, ‘Muro Lucano 139’, ‘Conversano 1250’, ‘Albino beige chiaro 1094’) P. eryngii isolates, the following qualitative analyses were performed: Total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity (EC50 of ABTS) and antiradical power (ARP) in fresh lyophilized and dry basidioma, and water content, β-glucans and phenolic compounds in fresh samples. Standard methods were employed for each of the above mentioned aims. Total polyphenol content was diverse among the P. eryngii isolates. In particular, an elevated polyphenolic content was found in fresh lyophilized P. eryngii samples of the commercial isolates ‘V 142’ followed by ‘A 12’. The highest antiradical activity (ARP) was obtained by ‘Muro Lucano 139’ isolate. Wild P. eryngii isolates were characterized by higher water and β-glucans contents compared to the commercial ones, and the highest values were registered for the ‘Albino beige chiaro 1094’ isolate. In conclusion, the present study allowed us to identify the commercial and wild-type P. eryngii isolates from the Basilicata region, with high nutritional and medicinal value based on their bioactive compounds.

A comprehensive review on phenolic compounds from edible mushrooms: Occurrence, biological activity, application and future prospective

Phenolic compounds are minor metabolites usually present in mushroom species. Because of their potential advantages for human health, such as antioxidant and other biological activities, these bioactive components have been gaining more interest as functional foods, nutraceutical agents for providing better health conditions. This review aims to comprehensively discuss the recent advances in mushroom phenolic compounds, including new sources, structural characteristics, biological activities, potential uses and its industrial applications as well as the future perspectives. Phenolic acids as well as flavonoids are considered the most common phenolics occurring in mushroom species. These are responsible for its bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antihyperglycaemic, antiosteoporotic, anti-tyrosinase and antimicrobial activities. Several edible mushroom species with good phenolic content and show higher biological activity were highlighted, in a way for its futuristic applications. Trends on mushroom research highlighting new research areas, such as nanoformulation were discussed. Furthermore, the use of phenolic compounds as nutraceutical and cosmeceutical agents as well as the future perspectives and recommendations were made.

Higher Mushroom Consumption Is Associated with Lower Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Mushrooms are rich in bioactive compounds. The potential health benefits associated with mushroom intake have gained recent research attention. We thus conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between mushroom intake and risk of cancer at any site. We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies on mushroom intake and cancer published from 1 January, 1966, up to 31 October, 2020. Observational studies (n = 17) with RRs, HRs, or ORs and 95% CIs of cancer risk for ≥2 categories of mushroom intake were eligible for the present study. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Higher mushroom consumption was associated with lower risk of total cancer (pooled RR for the highest compared with the lowest consumption groups: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.78; n = 17). Higher mushroom consumption was also associated with lower risk of breast cancer (pooled RR for the highest compared with the lowest consumption groups: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.81; n = 10) and nonbreast cancer (pooled RR for the highest compared with the lowest consumption groups: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.97; n = 13). When site-specific cancers were examined, a significant association with mushroom consumption was only observed with breast cancer; this could be due to the small number of studies that were conducted with other cancers. There was evidence of a significant nonlinear dose-response association between mushroom consumption and the risk of total cancer (P-nonlinearity = 0.001; n = 7). Limitations included the potential for recall and selection bias in case-control designs, which comprised 11 out of the 17 studies included in this meta-analysis, and the large variation in the adjustment factors used in the final models from each study. The association between higher mushroom consumption and lower risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer, may indicate a potential protective role for mushrooms in the diet.

Nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms on usual intakes and nutrient adequacy using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2016 data

To evaluate the nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms on usual intakes and population adequacy of nutrients the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2016 dietary data for 9-18 years and 19+ years and a composite of commonly consumed raw mushrooms as well as oyster mushrooms (nutrient profiles from USDA data) were used for modeling. Usual intakes of nutrients and the percent population below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) or above the Adequate Intake (AI) were estimated before and after addition of mushrooms. Means with nonoverlapping 95th percentile confidence levels were used to assess meaningful differences. Addition of a serving (84 g) of mushrooms to the diet resulted in an increase in dietary fiber (5%-6%), copper (24%-32%), phosphorus (6%), potassium (12%-14%), selenium (13%-14%), zinc (5%-6%), riboflavin (13%-15%), niacin (13%-14%), and choline (5%-6%) in both adolescents and adults; and in iron (2.32%), thiamin (4.07%), folate (3.66%), and vitamin B6 (4.64%) in adults only, but had no impact on energy, carbohydrate, fat, or sodium. Addition of a serving of mushrooms also decreased the % below EAR for copper, phosphorus, and riboflavin for those 9-18 years and for copper, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and vitamin B6 for those 19+ years and increased the % above AI for potassium for both age groups. Addition of oyster mushrooms additionally increased 12%-13% vitamin D, and 12%-15% choline in the NHANES 2011-2016 diets. Addition of mushrooms exposed to UV light to increase vitamin D levels to 5 µg/serving also almost doubled vitamin D intake (98%-104%) and decreased inadequacy. Addition of a serving of mushrooms would also add 2.2 mg ergothioneine and 3.5 mg glutathione to the diet. Addition of a mushroom serving to the diet would increase several micronutrients including shortfall nutrients, without having any impact on energy, sodium, or fat.

Nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms to USDA Food Patterns - a dietary modeling analysis

Mushrooms are part of vegetables and are important source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. The objective was to assess the nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms in USDA Food Patterns using a similar approach to that used by USDA for Dietary Guidelines. A composite of commonly consumed raw mushrooms (white, brown/crimini and portabella; at 1:1:1 ratio) and raw speciality mushrooms (oyster mushrooms) were used for modeling. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Data central database (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/) was used to obtain nutrient profiles of mushrooms. Nutritional profiles of USDAs Food Patterns were obtained from the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Appendix E-3 (https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/15-appendix-E3/) and dietary modeling was accomplished by adding nutrients from mushrooms. Addition of an 84 g serving of commonly consumed raw mushrooms to USDA Food Patterns resulted in about 1% increase in calories, less than 5% increase in macronutrients, 2-3% increase in fiber, 8-12% increase in potassium, 12-18% increase in riboflavin, 11-26% increase in niacin, 11-23% selenium and 16-26% increase in copper depending upon the pattern type and calorie level. Mushrooms exposed to UV light to increase vitamin D levels to 200 IU/serving also increased vitamin D by 67-90% in USDA Food Patterns. Addition of oyster mushroom also additionally increased 8-11% vitamin D and 10-16% choline in USDA Food Patterns. Addition of mushrooms had minimal effect on sodium (1% or less increase) and no effect on saturated fat or cholesterol in USDA Food Patterns. Based on published data, a serving of commonly consumed mushrooms would also be expected to add 2.2 mg ergothioneine and 3.5 mg glutathione to the USDA Food Patterns. Addition of mushrooms to USDA Food Patterns increased several micronutrients including shortfall nutrients (such as potassium, vitamin D and choline), and had a minimal or no impact on overall calories, sodium or saturated fat.

The Effects of Major Mushroom Bioactive Compounds on Mechanisms That Control Blood Glucose Level

Diabetes mellitus is a life-threatening multifactorial metabolic disorder characterized by high level of glucose in the blood. Diabetes and its chronic complications have a significant impact on human life, health systems, and countries' economies. Currently, there are many commercial hypoglycemic drugs that are effective in controlling hyperglycemia but with several serious side-effects and without a sufficient capacity to significantly alter the course of diabetic complications. Over many centuries mushrooms and their bioactive compounds have been used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, especially polysaccharides and terpenoids derived from various mushroom species. This review summarizes the effects of these main mushroom secondary metabolites on diabetes and underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for lowering blood glucose. In vivo and in vitro data revealed that treatment with mushroom polysaccharides displayed an anti-hyperglycemic effect by inhibiting glucose absorption efficacy, enhancing pancreatic β-cell mass, and increasing insulin-signaling pathways. Mushroom terpenoids act as inhibitors of α-glucosidase and as insulin sensitizers through activation of PPARγ in order to reduce hyperglycemia in animal models of diabetes. In conclusion, mushroom polysaccharides and terpenoids can effectively ameliorate hyperglycemia by various mechanisms and can be used as supportive candidates for prevention and control of diabetes in the future.

Chemopreventive activity of bioactive fungal fractions isolated from milk-supplemented cultures of Cerrena unicolor and Pycnoporus sanguineus on colon cancer cells

The biochemical properties and anti-tumorigenic activity of Cerrena unicolor (CU) and Pycnoporus sanguineus (PS) towards colon cancer cells and the effect of supplementation of the fungal culture medium with cow milk on these activities were examined. CU1-II and PS4-II exhibited anticancer properties through various mechanisms. The extracts at the 200 µg/mL concentration significantly decreased the viability of HT-29 and SW948 cells. They also exhibited pro-apoptotic properties towards the cancer cell lines (HT-29, LS 180, and SW948). Furthermore, culturing the studied fungi on milk-supplemented media may improve the pro-health properties of both milk and mushrooms. The extracts had a higher concentration of proteins, lower levels of free amino acids, and higher content of phenolic compounds than milk. They also exerted a free radical scavenging effect, which may be connected with the high activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase. The tested extracts exhibited anticancer activity: C. unicolor grown on the medium without milk and P. sanguineus grown on the medium with milk. The CU1-II and PS4-II extracts exhibited the strongest anticancer properties; however, PS4-II exerted a milder effect on normal CCD 841 CoTr cells than CU1-II. CU3-II exerted the mildest effect among all extracts on both normal and cancer cells.

White button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) disrupts androgen receptor signaling in human prostate cancer cells and patient-derived xenograft

White button mushroom (WBM) (Agaricus bisporus) is a potential prostate cancer (PCa) chemo-preventative and therapeutic agent. Our clinical phase І trial of WBM powder in patients with biochemically recurrent PCa indicated that WBM intake reduced the circulating levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). We hypothesized that WBM exerts its effects on PCa through the androgen receptor (AR) signaling axis. Therefore, we conducted a reverse translational study with androgen-dependent PCa cell lines (LNCaP and VCaP) and patient-derived-xenografts (PDX) from a prostate tumor (TM00298). In both LNCaP and VCaP cells, western blots and qRT-PCR assays indicated that WBM extract (6-30 mg/mL) suppressed DHT-induced PSA expression and cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence analysis of AR revealed that WBM extract interrupted the AR nuclear-cytoplasmic distribution. PSA promotor-luciferase assay suggested that WBM extract inhibited DHT-induced luciferase activity. RNA-Seq on WBM-treated LNCaP cells confirmed that WBM treatment suppressed the androgen response pathways and cell-cycle control pathways. Our PDX showed that oral intake of WBM extract (200 mg/kg/d) suppressed tumor growth and decreased PSA levels in both tumors and serum. In the present study, we also identified a conjugated linoleic acid isomer (CLA-9Z11E) as a strong AR antagonist by performing LanthaScreen TR-FRET AR Coactivator Interaction Assays. The inhibitory effect of CLA-9Z11E (IC50: 350 nM) was nearly two times stronger than the known AR antagonist, cyproterone acetate (IC50: 672 nM). The information gained from this study improves the overall understanding of how WBM may contribute to the prevention and treatment of PCa.

The biology of ergothioneine, an antioxidant nutraceutical

Ergothioneine (ERG) is an unusual thio-histidine betaine amino acid that has potent antioxidant activities. It is synthesised by a variety of microbes, especially fungi (including in mushroom fruiting bodies) and actinobacteria, but is not synthesised by plants and animals who acquire it via the soil and their diet, respectively. Animals have evolved a highly selective transporter for it, known as solute carrier family 22, member 4 (SLC22A4) in humans, signifying its importance, and ERG may even have the status of a vitamin. ERG accumulates differentially in various tissues, according to their expression of SLC22A4, favouring those such as erythrocytes that may be subject to oxidative stress. Mushroom or ERG consumption seems to provide significant prevention against oxidative stress in a large variety of systems. ERG seems to have strong cytoprotective status, and its concentration is lowered in a number of chronic inflammatory diseases. It has been passed as safe by regulatory agencies, and may have value as a nutraceutical and antioxidant more generally.

Cultivation and Nutritional Value of Prominent Pleurotus spp.: An Overview

Pleurotus species are commercially essential mushrooms and widely cultivated throughout the world. The production of Pleurotus mushrooms alone accounts for around 25% of that total cultivated mushrooms globally. In America and Europe, Pleurotus species are considered specialty mushrooms, whereas, in Korea, their cultivation is economically profitable, and it is one of the highly consumed species. Pleurotus species are predominantly found in tropical forests and often grow on fallen branches, dead and decaying tree stumps, and wet logs. Biographical studies have shown that the Pleurotus genus is among the more conspicuous fungi that induce wood decay in terrestrial ecosystems worldwide due to its formidable lignin-modifying enzymes, including laccase and versatile peroxidases. Pleurotus species can be grown easily due to their fast colonization nature on diversified agro-substrates and their biological efficiency 100%. Pleurotus mushrooms are rich in proteins, dietary fiber, essential amino acids, carbohydrates, water-soluble vitamins, and minerals. These mushrooms are abundant in functional bioactive molecules, though to influence health. Pleurotus mushrooms are finding unique applications as flavoring, aroma, and excellent preservation quality. Apart from its unique applications, Pleurotus mushrooms have a unique status delicacy with high nutritional and medicinal values. The present review provides an insight into the cultivation of Pleurotus spp. using different agro-waste as growth substances paying attention to their effects on the growth and chemical composition.

Mushroom Bulgaria inquinans Modulates Host Immunological Response and Gut Microbiota in Mice

We aimed to determine the prebiotic impact of Mushroom Bulgaria inquinans (BI) on the host immune response and gut microbiota. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a diet supplemented with 0, 1, or 2% BI for 4 wks. Compared to mice fed with a control diet (0% BI), mice fed with 1 or 2% BI had an increase of T cell proliferation from the spleen, but such change was not found between 1 and 2% BI treated mice. Also, BI at 2% increased the production of IL-2 of splenocytes stimulated with T-cell mitogens, but BI at 1 and 2% did not affect productions of other splenic-T cell cytokines including IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ. Interestingly, BI at 1 or 2% inhibited T cell proliferation of mesenteric lymph node (mLN) but this effect was not found between 1 and 2% BI treated mice. Furthermore, BI inhibited the production of IL-2 in anti-CD3/CD28-stimulated T cells from mLN in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, BI at 2%, not 1% inhibited the production of IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ of mLN. Since BI at 2% produced a more significant effect on the immune response, we further used BI at 2% to evaluate the effect of BI on gut microbiota. Of note, BI reduced the diversity of gut microbiota and resulted in an increase of Faecalibaculum and Parabacteroides abundance and the decrease of Allobaculum, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and Rikenella abundance at the genus level. Finally, the correlation was observed between specific bacteria genera and the productions of T-cell cytokines from mesenteric lymphocytes: Rikenella and Candidatus_Saccharimonas correlated positively with IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ; Bacteroides and Parabacteroides correlated negatively with IL-2 and IL-4; Faecalibaculum correlated negatively with IFN-γ and IL-4 and Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium correlated negatively with IFN-γ. The specific role of each intestinal microbiota observed is still unclear, but BI might exert a prebiotic effect on gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria (Faecalibaculum). This is helpful for further demonstrating the healthy-promotion mechanism of B. inquinans.

Maintaining Health and Well-Being by Putting Faith into Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Anxiety and fear adversely affect the physiological systems that protect individuals from infection. This article comments on the role that religious faith and practice can play in helping individuals remain free from infection by the coronavirus and in helping to moderate the effects of infection if that should occur. The author provides six recommendations to help individuals maintain spiritual, mental, and physical resilience during these anxious times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mushrooms-Rich Preparations on Wound Healing: From Nutritional to Medicinal Attributes

Mushrooms have a significant role in human diet as functional food and as a nutraceutical resource. The combination of its umami flavor, protein, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates has meant that mushrooms could be considered a cheap food source for a long time in many countries. Moreover, mushrooms contain an excellent variety of bioactive metabolites that can be successful in both prevention and treatment of various human health hazards. In addition, extracts from medicinal mushrooms and their metabolites have been verified for wound treating with contribution to different mechanisms of the healing process. This review summarizes the nutritional value and composition of mushrooms, ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology, and wound healing potential.

Is There Scope for a Novel Mycelium Category of Proteins alongside Animals and Plants?

In the 21st century, we face a troubling trilemma of expanding populations, planetary and public wellbeing. Given this, shifts from animal to plant food protein are gaining momentum and are an important part of reducing carbon emissions and consumptive water use. However, as this fast-pace of change sets in and begins to firmly embed itself within food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and food policies we must raise an important question-is now an opportunistic time to include other novel, nutritious and sustainable proteins within FBGD? The current paper describes how food proteins are typically categorised within FBDG and discusses how these could further evolve. Presently, food proteins tend to fall under the umbrella of being 'animal-derived' or 'plant-based' whilst other valuable proteins i.e., fungal-derived appear to be comparatively overlooked. A PubMed search of systematic reviews and meta-analytical studies published over the last 5 years shows an established body of evidence for animal-derived proteins (although some findings were less favourable), plant-based proteins and an expanding body of science for mycelium/fungal-derived proteins. Given this, along with elevated demands for alternative proteins there appears to be scope to introduce a 'third' protein category when compiling FBDG. This could fall under the potential heading of 'fungal' protein, with scope to include mycelium such as mycoprotein within this, for which the evidence-base is accruing.

Examining the health effects and bioactive components in Agaricus bisporus mushrooms: a scoping review

There is evidence from both in vitro and animal models that the consumption of edible mushrooms has beneficial effects on health. It is unclear whether similar effects exist in humans and which bioactive compounds are present. This review synthesises the evidence on the world's most commonly consumed mushroom, Agaricus bisporus to (i) examine its effect on human health outcomes; and (ii) determine the nutrient density of its bioactive compounds, which may explain their health effects. A systematic literature search was conducted on the consumption of A. bisporus, without date and study design limits. Bioactive compounds included ergosterol, ergothioneine, flavonoids, glucans and chitin. Two authors independently identified studies for inclusion and assessed methodological quality. Beneficial effects of A. bisporus on metabolic syndrome, immune function, gastrointestinal health and cancer, with the strongest evidence for the improvement in Vitamin D status in humans, were found. Ultraviolet B (UVB) exposed mushrooms may increase and maintain serum 25(OH)D levels to a similar degree as vitamin D supplements. A. bisporus contain beta-glucans, ergosterol, ergothioneine, vitamin D and an antioxidant compound usually reported as flavonoids; with varying concentrations depending on the type of mushroom, cooking method and duration, and UVB exposure. Further research is required to fully elucidate the bioactive compounds in mushrooms using vigorous analytical methods and expand the immunological markers being tested. To enable findings to be adopted into clinical practice and public health initiatives, replication of existing studies in different population groups is required to confirm the impact of A. bisporus on human health.

A mushroom diet reduced the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension and macrosomia: a randomized clinical trial

Background

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a disease characterized by high blood pressure detected after 20 weeks of pregnancy, affecting approximately 10% of pregnant women worldwide. Effective strategies are imperatively needed to prevent and treat PIH.

Methods

Subjects were required to consume 100 g mushroom daily from pre-pregnancy to the 20th week of gestation. The gestational hypertension and related primary and secondary outcomes of the mushroom diet (MD) group and placebo group were investigated to compare the intervention of a MD on the PIH and preeclampsia-associated maternal and child health conditions.

Results

A total of 582 and 580 subjects belonging to the MD group and placebo group were included for the analysis, respectively. Compared to the placebo, the MD significantly reduced the incidence of gestational hypertension (P = 0.023), preeclampsia (P = 0.014), gestational weight gain (P = 0.017), excessive gestational weight gain (P = 0.032) and gestational diabetes (P = 0.047). Stratified analysis showed that the MD lowered the risk of PIH for overweighed women (P = 0.036), along with the percentage of macrosomia (P = 0.007).

Conclusion

An MD could serve as a preventative strategy for lowering the risk of PIH and could control newborn birthweight while reducing comorbidities including gestational weight gain, diabetes etc.

Development of a Danish Adapted Healthy Plant-Based Diet Based on the EAT-Lancet Reference Diet

Plant-based diets have been linked to both health benefits and a lower climate impact. However, plant-based diets may represent both healthy and unhealthy dietary practices. The present study aimed to develop a nationally adapted healthy plant-based diet based on the global EAT-Lancet reference diet. Development took place in a series of steps. First, the original EAT-Lancet reference diet was evaluated based on food availability, i.e., using Danish food data (Model 1). Then, the model was further modified to reflect national food based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and characteristics of current consumption pattern, e.g., by including processed food, discretionary foods and beverages in the diet (Model 2). The contents of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, except for vitamin D and iodine, were found to be sufficient for Model 2, according to the recommended nutrient density to be used for planning diets for groups of individuals aged 6–65 years. In addition, the study gave an insight into the nutrients and foods to be aware of in planning a predominantly plant-based diet, thereby providing directions for future revisions of sustainable FBDGs. These include a stronger emphasis on the intake of legumes, nuts and seeds, fruit and vegetables including dark green vegetables, whole-grain products and vegetable oils as well as lowering meat intake.