Functional FoodsFunctional properties of edible mushrooms
Introduction
Wild mushrooms have a worldwide distribution. It is not known how many mushroom species exist; some experts estimate that they number in the tens of thousands. It has been claimed that <10% of mushroom species are edible and a roughly equal proportion of them is considered to be poisonous.1 Through trial and error, humans have learned to avoid the poisonous mushrooms. Today, because of the progress in developing innovative cultivation techniques, huge quantities of various cultivated mushrooms are produced and sold throughout the year. The two most popular cultivated mushrooms in the world are the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and shiitake (Lentinus edodes). The first is popular in the West and the latter in the Far East; however, shiitake is also increasing in popularity in the West.2
Since ancient times mushrooms have been consumed by humans not only as a part of the normal diet but also as a delicacy because they have a highly desirable taste and aroma. In addition, the nutritional, tonic, and medicinal properties of mushrooms have been recognized for a long time. Certain ancient religious scriptures such as the Vedas have mentioned their medicinal importance; Romans considered mushrooms to be the Foods of the Gods and the Chinese declared them to be the Elixir of life.3
Mushrooms are quite high in protein (19–35%, including all the essential amino acids) and low in fat. Mushrooms also contain relatively large amounts of carbohydrate and fiber, ranging from 51 to 88% and from 4 to 20% (dry weight), respectively, for the major cultivated species. In addition, mushrooms contain significant amounts of vitamins, namely thiamin, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, and vitamin D2, as well as minerals.2, 4 In addition to their nutritional value, some mushrooms popular in the Far East may also have a medicinal value; antitumor, antiviral, and hypolipidemic effects have been reported.2, 3, 4 The present paper deals with the last-mentioned of these properties, as well as the vitamin D contents of mushrooms, focusing especially on the shiitake, the most popular mushroom reported to have medicinal properties.
Section snippets
Vitamin d and mushrooms
Although humans can synthesize vitamin D in the skin through the action of sunlight, the dietary intake of vitamin D compounds is important, especially in northern latitudes. In addition to being efficient in preventing rickets and osteomalacia, vitamin D may also be effective in preventing and treating postmenopausal osteoporosis. Unfortunately, few foodstuffs naturally contain significant levels of vitamin D. Mushrooms are the only non-animal–based food containing vitamin D, and hence they
Antitumor/anticancer activity
The medicinal property for which mushrooms have been most extensively investigated is their antitumor activity. Most of this research has been conducted in Japan. Whole mushrooms of several species and/or extracts from them have been reported to have an antitumor effect: Among these species are A. bisporus, Auricularia auricula, Collybia confluens, Coriolus versicolor, Flammulina velutipes, Ganoderma applanatum, G. lucidum, L. edodes, Pholiota nameko, Pleutorus ostreatus, Schizophyllum commune,
Antiviral activity
Shiitake mushrooms have been believed to cure the common cold for hundreds of years. More recently, some scientific evidence has been obtained to support this belief. Cochran et al.17 examined extracts of different parts of many different plants and fungi for activity against the influenza virus in vitro and in mice. About 70 species, including apples, beans, and spinach, showed no antiviral activity. Of the mushrooms tested shiitake showed an activity (expressed as the percentage decrease in
Hypolipidemic activity
Initial research on the cholesterol-lowering effects of mushrooms was performed in Japan by Kaneda and coworkers. Kaneda and Tokuda19 demonstrated that when rats were fed a diet supplemented with 5% (dry weight) of shiitake fruiting bodies for 10 wk, the plasma cholesterol levels of the animals decreased significantly. In addition to shiitake, A. bisporus was also effective. The active hypocholesterolemic substance in shiitake was isolated and identified as an adenosine derivative.20 It was
Conclusions
It is clear that mushrooms contain some interesting compounds that have been shown in clinical studies to be effective in treating several serious diseases common in developed countries. Unfortunately, results from previous studies have been published mainly in Japanese, which restricts their availability for researchers in Western countries. A common feature of clinical studies published in Western journals is their short duration. To improve understanding of the different facets of edible
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