Basidiomycetes fungi health benefit and disease causing fungi, review of research studies

The phylum basidiomycota are made of fungi that produce spores that are formed outside a pedestal-like structure, the basidium. The members of this phylum, known as basidiomycetes, include fungi with gills or pores, including the familiar mushrooms and bracket fungi. The mushroom extract AHCC comes from basidiomycetes type fungi. Basidiomycota fungi are potential sources of bioactive natural products to be used in fighting infections or cancer.

Edible basidiomycetes
Agaricus bisporus, the common "pizza" mushroom, is an edible basidiomycetes
Lentinula edodes is the Shiitake mushroom

Potential health benefit from basidiomycetes extracts
Cytotoxic, immunosuppressive, trypanocidal and antileishmanial activities of Basidiomycota fungi present in Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil.
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 2009 Mar; Rosa LH, Machado KM, Rabello AL, Souza-Fagundes EM, Correa-Oliveira R, Rosa CA, Zani CL. Souza-Fagundes EM, Correa-Oliveira R, Rosa CA, Zani CL. Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Rua Diogo de Vasconcelos 122, Campus Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
One hundred three Basidiomycota fungi representing 84 species and 17 families were collected from different Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. Their basidiomes and fermentation broth extracts were screened in a bioassay panel that included three human cancer cells lines, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), the enzyme trypanothione reductase (TryR) from Trypanosoma cruzi, and amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis. Forty-two extracts representing 21 genera and 35 species presented activities higher than 60% in one or more assays employed in this study. Eighteen extracts were toxic to one or more human cancer cell lines. Extracts from Lentinus strigosus CCB 178 and Lentinus sp. UFMGCB 38 showed selectivity towards cancer cells as they showed only a minor impact on PBMCs. Six extracts suppressed PBMCs proliferation and showed low toxic effect to cancer cells. Thirty-four extracts inhibited the activity of the TryR. Of these, five showed low toxicity towards PBMCs. Extracts from Gymnopilus areolatus, Irpex lacteus, L. strigosus, Nothopanus hygrophanus, Pleurotus flabellatus, and unidentified Basidiomycetes were toxic to L. amazonensis. The results of this screening reinforce the potential of Basidiomycota fungi as sources of bioactive natural products that may be developed into new therapeutic agents for cancer and neglected diseases such as trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Cancer treatment
Suppression of hepatic natural killer activity by liver metastasis of cancer and restoration of killer activity by oral administration of a Basidomycetes-derived polysaccharide, PSK.
Acta Med Okayama. 1994 Oct; First Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
PSK (Krestin) is a protein-bound polysaccharide with antitumor and immunomodulatory activity. In this study, the effects of the oral administration of PSK were investigated on the natural killer (NK) activity of liver-associated lymphocytes and their subfractions separated by density gradient centrifugation, in WKAH rats with liver metastasis of KDA hepatoma. PSK was administered orally, at a dose of 500 mg/kg once a day for 3 weeks. The NK activity of nonparenchymal liver cells (NPLC) and their subfractions, including large granular lymphocytes (LGL), was markedly augmented by this treatment. The effects of oral PSK were also examined in CDF1 mice with liver metastases of Colon 26 adenocarcinoma; the survival of tumor-bearing mice was prolonged and both metastatic foci and liver weight were decreased. These results suggest that PSK may be effective for the suppression of liver metastasis through activation of liver-associated NK cells.

Basidiomycetes that cause infections
Many fungi in the Basidiomycota have a dimorphic life cycle, where a monokaryotic yeast form alternates with a dikaryotic hyphal form. Most of the dimorphic basidiomycetes are pathogenic on plants, animals or other fungi. In these species, infection of a host appears to be closely linked to both dimorphism and the process of sexual reproduction.
   Cryptococcus neoformans is a human pathogen that can cause an infection in immunocompromised individuals with AIDS or other conditions that reduce the effectiveness of the immune response.

Agricultural pathogen
Ustilago maydis or corn smut is a significant agricultural pathogen.

Additional basidomycetes fungi
Coprinus cinereus and
Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Gymnopilus areolatus,
Irpex lacteus,
L. strigosus,
Nothopanus hygrophanus
Pleurotus flabellatus

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