Wild and cultivated edible and medicinal mushrooms have long been known by humans as a source of valuable food and medicines in Asian and European countries. Currently, only a small fraction of estimated fungal biodiversity has been investigated for their bioactivities and medicinal properties, while mushrooms possess a potential in pharmacy, medicine, cosmetics and food industry. In the kingdom of fungi, mushrooms taxonomically belong to phyla Basidiomycota (class Agaricomycetes) and Ascomycota (class Pezizomycetes) of the subkingdom Dikarya. Mushrooms,such as truffles (Tuber),morels (Morchella), Agaricus bisporus, Boletus edulis and oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species), are considered gourmet healthy food. Mushrooms (Ganoderma and Trametes species, Hericium erinaceus, Lentinula edodes, etc.) are also perspective sources for myco-pharmacological research as source of bioactive molecules (alkaloids, lipids, phenolics, polysaccharides, proteins, steroids, terpenoids, etc.) with more than 130 medicinal effects (anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, hypocholesterolaemic, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, etc.). There is scientific evi-dence of using mushroom-derived biotech products as dietary food, pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals and other products available in the market.
The Potential of Mushrooms in Developing Healthy Food and Biotech Products
Zambonelli A.
2023
Abstract
Wild and cultivated edible and medicinal mushrooms have long been known by humans as a source of valuable food and medicines in Asian and European countries. Currently, only a small fraction of estimated fungal biodiversity has been investigated for their bioactivities and medicinal properties, while mushrooms possess a potential in pharmacy, medicine, cosmetics and food industry. In the kingdom of fungi, mushrooms taxonomically belong to phyla Basidiomycota (class Agaricomycetes) and Ascomycota (class Pezizomycetes) of the subkingdom Dikarya. Mushrooms,such as truffles (Tuber),morels (Morchella), Agaricus bisporus, Boletus edulis and oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species), are considered gourmet healthy food. Mushrooms (Ganoderma and Trametes species, Hericium erinaceus, Lentinula edodes, etc.) are also perspective sources for myco-pharmacological research as source of bioactive molecules (alkaloids, lipids, phenolics, polysaccharides, proteins, steroids, terpenoids, etc.) with more than 130 medicinal effects (anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, hypocholesterolaemic, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, etc.). There is scientific evi-dence of using mushroom-derived biotech products as dietary food, pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals and other products available in the market.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
