Macrofungal diversity and distribution in Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Traditional Utilization of Wild Edible Mushrooms among the Local Communities of District Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

“…Medicinal properties: Sparassis crispa is a wellknown edible and medicinal mushroom, having a wide range of medicinal properties including anticarcinogenic, immunity enhancing, antiinflammatory, hematopoietic, anti-hypertensive, antiangiogenic, antiviral, anti-allergic, anti-diabetic, wound-healing, antioxidant, anti-coagulant and cytokine induction. These properties are due to the presence of special secondary metabolites like sparassol, methyl-2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoate, methyl-dihydroxymethoxy-methylbenzoate, ergosterol peroxides, and benzoate derivatives that are useful in the treatment of various human ailments (Lee et al, 2018;Sharma et al, 2022).…”

“…were highly sought after for their distinct flavors and nutritional value (Kumar and Sharma, 2011;Lalotra et al, 2018;Sharma et al, 2022). The region's culinary customs heavily rely on the complex knowledge that has been passed down through the generations about the identification and usage of these fungi (Sharma et al, 2022). They also included information on the several ways to prepare the harvested WEMs.…”

“…Their high-quality protein content, characterized by high digestibility, has made them a highly desirable food worldwide. These have been an additional source of livelihood for people from different parts of the world (Manoharachary et al, 2005;Sharma et al, 2022), which generate cash income through market trade for these people and help to reduce their vulnerability to poverty by strengthening their livelihoods by generating a reliable income (Boa, 2004;Chang and Lee, 2004;Mau et al, 2004).The local knowledge arouses due to the dependence of humans on mushrooms, leads to traditional knowledge. People from different cultures have attained this valuable knowledge of their nutritional and medicinal uses through trial and error.…”