Mycopharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals: Promising Agents to Improve Human Well-Being and Life Quality

Abstract

Fungi, especially edible mushrooms, are considered as high-quality food with nutritive and functional values. They are of considerable interest and have been used in the synthesis of nutraceutical supplements due to their medicinal properties and economic significance. Specific fungal groups, including predominantly filamentous endophytic fungi from Ascomycete phylum and several Basidiomycetes, produce secondary metabolites (SMs) with bioactive properties that are involved in the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. These beneficial fungi, while high in protein and important fat contents, are also a great source of several minerals and vitamins, in particular B vitamins that play important roles in carbohydrate and fat metabolism and the maintenance of the nervous system. This review article will summarize and discuss the abilities of fungi to produce antioxidant, anticancer, antiobesity, and antidiabetic molecules while also reviewing the evidence from the last decade on the importance of research in fungi related products with direct and indirect impact on human health.

How Should the Worldwide Knowledge of Traditional Cancer Healing Be Integrated with Herbs and Mushrooms into Modern Molecular Pharmacology?

“…For instance, iHerb (USA, California, www.iherb.com; accessed on 30 Nowakowski and colleagues have summarized 92 mushroom species with antineoplastic activity, which could be effective against 38 various cancers [355]. Mushrooms display a great number of secondary metabolites with different biological activities [356][357][358]. In addition, these metabolites are different from secondary metabolites of plants.…”

Boletus griseipurpureus Corner: Antibacterial, Antioxidant Properties and Phytochemical Compositions

“…7 Notably, mushrooms like B. edulis demonstrate remarkable antioxidant properties and possess antihyperglycemic effects. 8 Additionally, polysaccharide extracts derived from mushrooms showcase significant antioxidant properties 9 .…”

Activity of aurisin A isolated from Neonothopanus nambi against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains

“…These include the highly cultivated edible species such as Agaricus bisporus, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus spp. and Flammulina velutipes ( Garcia et al, 2021 , Al-Obaidi et al, 2021 ), and non-edible medicinal species such as Ganoderma lucidum, G. pfeifferi and G. applanatum ( Basnet et al, 2017 ). Many wild species found in forest ecosystems are yet to be investigated and the chemical compound/s responsible for the therapeutic effects identified.…”