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

Abstract

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.

Properties of Yogurts Enriched with Crude Polysaccharides Extracted from Pleurotus ostreatus Cultivated Mushroom

“…As a consequence, mushrooms themselves, as well as mushroom-derived constituents, are also used for the production of foodstuffs [17,18]. Both wild and cultivated mushrooms are a rich source of, among others, group B vitamins, phenolic compounds, terpenes, selenium or vitamin D (if fruiting bodies are exposed to sunlight or artificial UV light) [19,20]. Among health-promoting compounds, special attention is paid to bioactive polysaccharides belonging mainly to β-glucans.…”

State-of-the-Art Review on Botanical Hybrid Preparations in Phytomedicine and Phytotherapy Research: Background and Perspectives

“…Cordyceps increased aerobic capacity and Rhodiola increased performance and time to exhaustion. The combination of Rhodiola with Cordyceps negatively affects the efficacy of the intervention due to an unknown antagonistic interaction, probably due to the impact of purine alkaloid Cordycepin [ 77 ]. Its chemical structure resembles that of the nucleoside adenosine, which is involved in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolism, providing energy in many processes, including muscle contraction.…”

Anticancer Mechanism of Astragalus Polysaccharide and Its Application in Cancer Immunotherapy

“…However, β-glucan generally activates white blood cells such as macrophages and neutrophils, whereas Astragalus polysaccharide tends to enhance the body's production of various immune cells [229]. In terms of applications, β-glucans are commonly used in immune-enhancing supplements and food additives, while Astragalus polysaccharide is often used in herbal formulations to enhance vitality and treat diseases such as colds or flu [230,231]. Among the β-glucans, shiitake polysaccharide is a typical T-cell activator that enhances the immune function of immune cells such as T cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells, and has antitumor effects [232].…”