Milky mushroom: A healthy nutritious diet

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Pharmacognosy
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Milky mushrooms (Macrofungi) are traditionally recognized for their nutritional and medicinal value.
• They are easily cultivated in tropical regions, leading to increased commercial and medicinal interest.
• Recent decades have seen documentation of their health-promoting properties and domestication techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review the nutritive values and biological activities of milky mushrooms.
• To identify challenges and propose holistic approaches for formulating functional compounds.
• To highlight the significance of milky mushrooms in the pharmaceutical field.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific forums and publications over the last 30 years.
• Analysis of documented health-promoting properties and bioactive compounds.
• Discussion of unique observed activities and research gaps.

Main Results:

• Milky mushrooms possess diverse bioactive compounds with unique activities, including fibrinolytic, synergistic antibiotic, antiobesity, and antiaging effects.
• Several unique activities have been observed, though detailed studies on active components and structure-activity relationships are lacking.
• The review synthesizes existing knowledge on nutritive values, biological activities, and cultivation.

Conclusions:

• An integrated approach combining nutritional and medical perspectives is essential for utilizing milky mushrooms as functional foods.
• Further research is required to elucidate active components and their structure-activity relationships for pharmaceutical development.
• This review aims to fill knowledge gaps and underscore the pharmaceutical potential of milky mushrooms like Calocybe indica, Macrocybe gigantea, Macrocybe crassa, and Macrocybe lobayensis.