MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Bioactivities and Health Benefits of Mushrooms Mainly from China

Summary

This research reviews how various mushrooms, particularly those from China, can benefit human health through their natural compounds and properties. Mushrooms are shown to help fight diseases and promote wellness in multiple ways. Impacts on everyday life: • Mushrooms can be incorporated into daily diet as a natural way to boost immune system and prevent chronic diseases • Certain mushroom species could help in managing conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol • Mushroom extracts and compounds could provide natural alternatives to synthetic medicines • Regular consumption of medicinal mushrooms may help prevent cancer and other serious illnesses • Mushrooms offer a sustainable and natural source of health-promoting compounds

Background

Edible mushrooms are regarded as healthy food and nutrient sources due to their beneficial components, including carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, and low levels of calories, fat and toxic metals. Humans have used mushrooms as medicines for over 5000 years, with numerous mushrooms demonstrating remarkable bioactivities including antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory effects.

Objective

This review aims to summarize current knowledge of mushroom bioactivities, including their antioxidant, anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, to help enable full utilization of mushrooms for health benefits.

Results

The review found substantial evidence that mushrooms possess multiple beneficial bioactivities: Antioxidant effects through polysaccharides and other compounds, anti-inflammatory properties, immune system modulation through bioactive compounds like polysaccharides and proteins, anticancer activities against various cancer types, antimicrobial effects against bacteria and viruses, and other benefits including hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, anti-hypercholesterolemia, and antihypertensive activities.

Conclusion

Various mushroom species demonstrate numerous beneficial bioactivities and have significant potential to be developed into functional foods for preventing and treating several chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. While popular mushrooms have been extensively studied, many underutilized species remain to be fully investigated. Future research should focus on evaluating understudied mushrooms, isolating more bioactive compounds, and understanding their mechanisms of action.
  • Published in:Molecules,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.3390/molecules21070938
Scroll to Top