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Functional properties of edible mushrooms
1Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
Nutrition Reviews
|November 1, 1996
Summary
Edible mushrooms, like shiitake, contain bioactive compounds offering health benefits and potential therapeutic effects. Further research and epidemiological evidence are needed to fully understand their medicinal properties.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Nutraceutical Science
- Food Science
Background:
- Edible mushrooms possess numerous bioactive compounds with diverse biological activities.
- Approximately 50% of cultivated edible mushrooms exhibit functional nutraceutical or medicinal properties.
- Key cultivated mushroom species include Lentinus (shiitake), Pleurotus (oyster), and Grifola (maitake).
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the potential health benefits and therapeutic applications of edible mushrooms.
- To emphasize the need for further scientific investigation into functional mushrooms.
- To call for epidemiological evidence regarding the role of mushrooms in health.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on the composition and bioactivity of edible mushrooms.
- Analysis of cultivated mushroom tonnage and associated health properties.
- Identification of key bioactive compounds and their reported effects.
Main Results:
- Mushrooms contain bioactive compounds influenced by preparation and consumption methods.
- Specific mushrooms like shiitake, oyster, and maitake show immunomodulatory, lipid-lowering, and antitumor effects.
- These mushrooms demonstrate potential therapeutic benefits without significant toxicity.
Conclusions:
- Functional mushrooms warrant serious investigation for their potential in preventing and treating diseases like cancer, AIDS, and hypercholesterolemia.
- Despite promising properties, data on functional mushrooms are less robust than for other functional foods.
- More epidemiological studies are required to establish the role of edible mushrooms in human health.