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Proteins from Edible Mushrooms: Nutritional Role and Contribution to Well-Being

Summary

Mushrooms are highly nutritious foods containing proteins as complete and high-quality as meat, with unique compounds that boost immunity, fight infections, and may help prevent diseases like cancer and diabetes. Different types of mushroom proteins have specific health benefits, from strengthening immune systems to lowering blood pressure and fighting viruses. Scientists are finding new ways to grow mushrooms and extract their proteins for use in sports nutrition, medicines, and fortified foods, making them increasingly valuable for human health and sustainability.

Background

Edible mushrooms from the phylum Basidiomycota have been consumed for thousands of years and represent an excellent source of high-quality proteins with diverse functional properties. These macrofungi synthesize bioactive compounds including proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, phenolic compounds, and vitamins with significant nutritional and therapeutic potential. With growing global population demands for sustainable protein sources, mushroom cultivation offers advantages in terms of speed, space efficiency, and use of agricultural waste.

Objective

This review provides a systematic overview of protein types and properties in edible mushrooms, focusing on their nutritional value and beneficial health effects. The paper aims to summarize recent research on mushroom proteins, their structural diversity, functional roles, and applications in food and pharmaceutical industries, while highlighting cultivation methods for optimizing protein biosynthesis.

Results

Edible mushrooms contain 19-40% protein with complete amino acid profiles comparable to animal proteins. The review identifies multiple functional protein categories including lectins, immunomodulatory proteins, enzymes (laccase, cellulase, ribonuclease), enzyme inhibitors, ribosome-inactivating proteins, and hydrophobins. These proteins demonstrate antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, immunomodulatory, and ACE-inhibitory activities with therapeutic potential.

Conclusion

Mushroom proteins represent innovative, sustainable alternatives to traditional protein sources with exceptional nutritional and functional properties. Future developments in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, combined with optimized cultivation methods, will enable broader applications in nutrition and therapeutic foods. Regulatory frameworks and safety assessments remain important considerations for commercializing mushroom-derived protein products.
  • Published in:Foods,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMC12470100, PMID: 41008174, doi: 10.3390/foods14183201
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