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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