Laetiporus sulphureus – CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND MEDICINAL VALUE

Abstract

The higher fungi are a rich source of chemical compounds with multi-directional therapeutic and pro-health effects. This review summarizes the results of the most important chemical and biological studies of the fruiting bodies and the mycelial cultures of Laetiporus sulphureus. Numerous studies have demonstrated the antimicrobial, anticancer, cytotoxic, hypoglycemic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of the extracts. Currently, only a few wood-decay fungi have practical use in medicine. Therefore it seems important to continue research on the effectiveness and safety of extracts and compounds of natural origin, including fungi, whose potential is not still used.

Nutraceutical and Food Preserving Importance of Laetiporus sulphureus

“…The adjective "sulphureus" (Lat.) originates from the characteristic color of fruiting bodies (Sulkowska-Ziaja et al, 2018). It is a wood-rotting mushroom producing shelfshaped, bracket-like fruiting bodies of pink-orange color, except for the fleshy margin, semicircular hats with a characteristic bright sulfuric-yellow color.…”

“…It is a wood-rotting mushroom producing shelfshaped, bracket-like fruiting bodies of pink-orange color, except for the fleshy margin, semicircular hats with a characteristic bright sulfuric-yellow color. It commonly grows in nature from late spring to autumn (Weber et al, 2004;Sulkowska-Ziaja et al, 2018). The remarkable yellowish or orange-colour of L. sulphureus contains nonisoprenoid polyene known as laetiporic acid A, B, C and 2dehydro-3-deoxylaetiporic acid A as the main pigments of natural food colorants (Weber et al, 2004;Davoli et al, 2005).…”

“…Its fruiting bodies are very large in overlapping clusters of 5-50 cm, annual, spongy to leathery, up to 40 cm wide, with wet biomass over 40 kg and tubular hymenopores (Rapior et al, 2000;Luangharn et al, 2014b;Kovács and Vetter, 2015). They colonize in roots, butt, or heartwood of living tree trunks and decaying logs or dead trunks of deciduous species, and more rarely coniferous species (Radic et al, 2009;Luangharn et al, 2014b;Sulkowska-Ziaja et al, 2018). L. sulphureus is a cosmopolitan species and presents on all continents, except Antarctica.…”

“…Besides being a food, L. sulphureus fruit bodies have long been used in Asian folk medicine and thought to be capable of regulating the human body, improving health, and defending the body against illnesses (Ying et al, 1987;Zjawiony, 2004). Moreover, the fruiting bodies have been used for the treatment of pyretic diseases, coughs, gastric cancer, and rheumatism in Europe (Rios et al, 2012;Sulkowska-Ziaja et al, 2018). Burning of L. sulphureus is also used as mosquitoes and midges repellent (Ying et al, 1987).…”

“…Nutritional studies have recently confirmed that it is a sustainable food supply to growing population due to rich content of carbohydrate, protein, minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and fibre. In recent years, several primary and secondary biologically active components and extracts have been prepared from fruiting bodies or mycelia of L. sulphureus exhibiting immunomodulation, antitumor, anticoagulation, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, anti-ulcer, insulin tropic, anti-HIV, and cytostatic activities (Grienke et al, 2014;Khatua et al, 2017;Sulkowska-Ziaja et al, 2018). Previous studies on this species have revealed many interesting metabolites that can be utilized in biotechnological studies about medicine and food industries on larger scale.…”