A review on the cultivation, bioactive compounds, health-promoting factors and clinical trials of medicinal mushrooms Taiwanofungus camphoratus, Inonotus obliquus and Tropicoporus linteus

• Published in: Fungal biology and biotechnology 2024-07, Vol.11 (1), p.7-39, Article 7
• Main Authors: Tee, Phoebe Yon Ern, Krishnan, Thiiben, Cheong, Xin Tian, Maniam, Snechaa A P, Looi, Chung Yeng, Ooi, Yin Yin, Chua, Caroline Lin Lin, Fung, Shin-Yee, Chia, Adeline Yoke Yin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acids; Antioxidants; Antiviral activity; Antiviral agents; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Biomass; Clinical trials; Constituents; Cultivation; Fermentation; Functional foods; Fungi; Fungiculture; Habitats; Health; Health aspects; Health-promoting; Inonotus obliquus; Medicinal mushroom; Metabolites; Mushrooms; Natural product; Natural products; Natural resources; Nutraceuticals; Pharmacology; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Polysaccharides; Review; Taiwanofungus camphoratus; Therapeutic applications; Therapeutic properties; Triterpenoids; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 2054-3085; 2054-3085
• DOI: 10.1186/s40694-024-00176-3

Medicinal mushrooms, such as Taiwanofungus camphoratus, Inonotus obliquus, and Tropicoporus linteus, have been used in traditional medicine for therapeutic purposes and promotion of overall health in China and many East Asian countries for centuries. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated the large amounts of bioactive constituents (such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and phenolic compounds) available in these medicinal mushrooms and their potential therapeutic properties. Due to the rising demand for the health-promoting medicinal mushrooms, various cultivation methods have been explored to combat over-harvesting of the fungi. Evidence of the robust pharmacological properties, including their anticancer, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and antiviral activities, have been provided in various studies, where the health-benefiting properties of the medicinal fungi have been further proven through numerous clinical trials. In this review, the cultivation methods, available bioactive constituents, therapeutic properties, and potential uses of T. camphoratus, I. obliquus and T. linteus are explored.