Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials

Summary & key facts

This paper is a review of research on medicinal mushrooms. The authors collected studies done in test tubes, in animals, and in some people. They say mushrooms contain many active chemicals that can affect the immune system, inflammation, infection, metabolism, and the brain. The review also warns that more well-designed human trials are needed and that mushroom products should come from safe, genetically pure sources before they are widely recommended.

Key facts:

• The paper is a review that summarizes lab studies, animal work, and available clinical trials about medicinal mushrooms.
• Researchers report that mushrooms contain bioactive compounds that can change immune responses and reduce inflammation.
• The review lists many possible effects seen in studies, including antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, liver-protecting, nerve-protecting, blood sugar–lowering, and mood-related actions.
• Most evidence comes from laboratory and animal studies, so the authors say more high-quality studies in people are needed to know what really works.
• The authors call for stronger standards for mushroom supplements, including clear information about origin and genetic purity, to make them safer and more reliable.
• Because the review covers many different mushroom species and compounds, the strength of evidence varies by effect and by mushroom type.

Abstract

Medicinal mushrooms have important health benefits and exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including antiallergic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiviral, cytotoxic, immunomodulating, antidepressive, antihyperlipidemic, antidiabetic, digestive, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, osteoprotective, and hypotensive activities. The growing interest in mycotherapy requires a strong commitment from the scientific community to expand clinical trials and to propose supplements of safe origin and genetic purity. Bioactive compounds of selected medicinal mushrooms and their effects and mechanisms in in vitro and in vivo clinical studies are reported in this review. Besides, we analyzed the therapeutic use and pharmacological activities of mushrooms.

Topics

Fungal Biology and Applications Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds Phytochemistry and Bioactivity Studies

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Antifungal Antimicrobial Bioinformatics Biology Broad spectrum Chemistry Clinical trial Combinatorial chemistry Dermatology Medicinal plants Medicine Microbiology Pharmacology Traditional medicine

Substances

Other

Conditions & symptoms

Depression Sadness or low mood