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Medicinal Mushrooms as Multicomponent Mixtures—Demonstrated with the Example of Lentinula edodes

Summary

Shiitake mushrooms are more than just tasty food—they contain numerous compounds that work together to improve health. Unlike single isolated drugs, whole mushroom preparations offer multiple benefits including boosting immunity, protecting the heart, and potentially supporting cancer treatment. These mushrooms have been used safely in Asian medicine for over 2000 years and are becoming recognized worldwide for their health-promoting properties.

Background

Medicinal mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, particularly in East Asia. Unlike isolated pure compounds, medicinal mushrooms contain multicomponent mixtures (MOCSs) with numerous individual constituents that can interact synergistically. Lentinula edodes (shiitake) is a well-studied medicinal and culinary mushroom used for over 2000 years in East Asia.

Objective

This review examines the differences and challenges in preparation, characterization, and application of complex mushroom mixtures compared to isolated pure substances. The paper uses Lentinula edodes and its isolated compounds (lentinan and eritadenine) as primary examples to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of MOCSs versus single compounds.

Results

MOCSs from L. edodes demonstrate broad-spectrum biological activities including immunomodulation, antitumor effects, cardiovascular protection, osteoprotection, and antimicrobial effects. Individual compounds like lentinan show immunostimulatory effects useful in cancer therapy, while eritadenine exhibits antilipidemic and ACE-inhibitory properties. The entourage effect demonstrates that combined compounds achieve effects impossible individually.

Conclusion

Both isolated substances and MOCSs have justified roles in medicine and nutrition. Single compounds like lentinan are appropriate for precise therapeutic dosing in severe diseases, while MOCSs are valuable for prevention and supportive therapy in chronic diseases. Shiitake mushrooms offer significant health benefits whether used as food or medicinal preparations.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi (Basel),
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 38392825, DOI: 10.3390/jof10020153
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