Recent developments in mushrooms as anti-cancer therapeutics: a review

Abstract

From time immemorial, mushrooms have been valued by humankind as a culinary wonder and folk medicine in Oriental practice. The last decade has witnessed the overwhelming interest of western research fraternity in pharmaceutical potential of mushrooms. The chief medicinal uses of mushrooms discovered so far are as anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, hypocholesterolemic, anti-tumor, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, anti-allergic, nephroprotective, and anti-microbial agents. The mushrooms credited with success against cancer belong to the genus Phellinus, Pleurotus, Agaricus, Ganoderma, Clitocybe, Antrodia, Trametes, Cordyceps, Xerocomus, Calvatia, Schizophyllum, Flammulina, Suillus, Inonotus, Inocybe, Funlia, Lactarius, Albatrellus, Russula, and Fomes. The anti-cancer compounds play crucial role as reactive oxygen species inducer, mitotic kinase inhibitor, anti-mitotic, angiogenesis inhibitor, topoisomerase inhibitor, leading to apoptosis, and eventually checking cancer proliferation. The present review updates the recent findings on the pharmacologically active compounds, their anti-tumor potential, and underlying mechanism of biological action in order to raise awareness for further investigations to develop cancer therapeutics from mushrooms. The mounting evidences from various research groups across the globe, regarding anti-tumor application of mushroom extracts unarguably make it a fast-track research area worth mass attention.

The potential of Ganoderma lucidum extracts as bioactive ingredients in topical formulations, beyond its nutritional benefits

“…Overall, a lot of studies have been able to identify the titerpenes as the most prominent class of compounds contributing to the shown cytotoxic effect (Amen et al, 2016;Chen et al, 2016;Li et al, 2013a). The mechanism of antitumour effect of this mushroom has been associated with inducing autophagy , leading to apoptosis, inhibition of tumour invasion and metastasis (Patel and Goyal, 2012).…”

Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.: Fr.) Murr. as Food as Medicine

“…It has been also estimated that, by 2030 more than 21 million new cancer cases and 13 million deaths will be predicted. 51 However, the available current anticancer drugs are not target specific and in contrary have demonstrated to cause several side effects. Therefore, the scenario highlights serious need for novel effective and less toxic agents mainly from natural products.…”

Progress on Understanding the Anticancer Mechanisms of Medicinal Mushroom: Inonotus Obliquus

“…As a medical mushroom, Inonotus obliquus for containing myriad bioactive components known to exhibit potent effects of scavenging free radicals, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antitumor, etc. (Chen et al, 2010;Choi et al, 2010;Shibnev et al, 2011), has become an important resource of developing nutraceutical and natural drugs for anticancer (Patel and Goyal, 2012). However, ecological harsh habitat & much slow growing speed derived limited natural resources and difficult artificial cultivation of I. obliquus to obtain fruiting body make it impossible to obtain large quantity of I. obliquus.…”