Antiprotozoal Activity of Mycelial Extracts of Several Medicinal Agaricomycetes Mushrooms against Giardia duodenalis

This research investigated how extracts from medicinal mushrooms could be used to fight parasitic infections, specifically Giardia which causes intestinal illness. Scientists found that one mushroom species, Polyporus lipsiensis, was particularly effective at killing these parasites. This discovery could lead to new natural treatments for parasitic infections. Impacts on everyday life: • Could provide alternative treatments for people with parasitic infections who don’t respond to conventional drugs • Demonstrates the potential of mushrooms as sources of natural medicines • May lead to development of safer, natural antiparasitic treatments with fewer side effects • Could help address the growing problem of drug resistance in parasitic diseases • Shows promise for sustainable medicine production using mushroom cultivation