NJIMAH OGECHI FLORENCE

20/0401

BCH 411

BIOCHEMICAL REASONING

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF EDIBLE MUSHROOMS

ABSTRACT

Because they contain an enormous amount of nutraceutical components, mushrooms

are well-known functional meals. The nutritional significance of them with their high
protein, low fat, and low energy contents, is widely acknowledged. They are high in
vitamins like riboflavin, thiamine, ergosterol, niacin, and ascorbic acid, and they are
also high in minerals like iron and phosphorus. Bioactive components such as
polysaccharides, primarily β-glucans and glycoproteins, and secondary metabolites
(terpenoids, acids, alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, polyphenolic chemicals, lactones, sterols,
nucleotide analogues, vitamins, and metal chelating agents) are also present in them.
Mushrooms have the ability to act as hepatoprotective, immune-potentiating, anti-
viral, anti-cancer, and hypocholesterolemia agents because they contain
physiologically active compounds. Because of their high fiber and low-fat content,
they have a significant potential to prevent cardiovascular illnesses. They are also one
of the best sources of natural antioxidants, which can reduce oxidative damages.
Nevertheless, despite their extensive nutritional and bioactive potential, mushrooms
continue to be neglected. The bioactive ingredients in edible mushrooms are being
extracted using cutting-edge environmentally friendly methods. The goal of this paper
is to discuss the potential of mushrooms as a nutraceutical, as well as their medicinal
uses, bioactive chemicals, health advantages, and processing methods for edible
mushrooms that may be used to maintain and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Keywords: bioactive components; edible mushrooms; health benefits; nutraceutical’s

potentials
INTRODUCTION

The fruiting bodies of higher fungi are popularly known as mushrooms. Edible
mushrooms both wild and cultivated, have been recognized as functional foods due to
their excellent sensory characteristics, including the unique aroma and taste they have
(Vetvika et al., 2019). Mushrooms are believed to be the main underutilized resource
of nutritious foods. Their cultivation is, at present, the most cost-effective
biotechnology for the transformation of lignocelluloses waste into protein-rich foods,
besides causing a considerable reduction in environmental pollution. There are around
1600 species of mushrooms, however only 100 species have been recognized to be
consumed for edible purposes. About 33 species of edible mushrooms are under
cultivation throughout the world, but only three species are commonly grown, i.e.,
white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus L.), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus
ostreatus L.), and paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea L.). These were
incorporated into the diet by Romans and Greeks since early times. They were
considered as food of God by Romans, while the Chinese designated them as an elixir
of life (Pattanayak, 2017). Many cultures have utilized them for centuries. These are
rich sources of fiber, and nutrients such as proteins, minerals, vitamins with lower
amounts of fats and calories.

Edible mushrooms are generally used as a source for the preparation of nutraceuticals
and drugs with anti-tumour, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. In addition to
their pharmaceutical properties, mushrooms are also essential in our diet, due to their
low-fat content, high protein, and low energy contents. The mushroom proteins
comprise all essential amino acids mandatory for humans. Besides, these comprise
many nutritional components such as iron, phosphorus, and vitamins like ascorbic
acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ergosterol (Chien et., 2015).

Mushrooms are priced for texture, flavor, and some therapeutic characteristics.
Various studies have also reported that, due to the occurrence of functional
components in mushrooms, these have antiviral, antitumor, antithrombotic, and
immuno-modulating characteristics. The polysaccharides derived from edible
mushrooms, especially β-glucans, are gaining the attention of scientists and other food
industries due to their antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic and immune-
modulating effects as well as other health benefits.

BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS IN EDIBLE MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms are widely used for their high nutritional value as a functional food.
Additionally, they have been highly appreciated for their medicinal and therapeutic
applications (Shin et al., 2010). Interestingly, mushrooms are a rich source of
biologically active compounds providing medicinal or health benefits such as the
prevention and treatment of diseases to humans. Edible mushrooms produce a vast
diversity of bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, proteoglycans, terpenoids,
phenolic compounds, steroids, and lectins. These compounds have a wide range of
therapeutic effects and can act as immunomodulatory, anticarcinogenic, antiviral,
antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agents.

Specific bioactive compounds in mushrooms are responsible for improving human

health in a number of ways. Bioactive compounds can be found in mushrooms as well
as their cell wall components as polysaccharides (β-glucans) and proteins or as
secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds, terpenes, and steroids. The
concentration and efficacy of bioactive compounds are varied and depend on the type
of mushroom, substrate, fruiting conditions, stage of development, age of mushroom,
storage conditions, and of course cooking procedures (Dubost et al., 2007). On the
basis of their chemical structure, bioactive compounds of mushrooms may be
classified as peptides and proteins, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides,
polysaccharides protein complexes, terpenes, terpenoids, etc.

Peptides and Proteins

Mushrooms produce many bioactive proteins and peptides, primarily lectins which are
non-immune proteins or glycol proteins that bind specifically to fungal cell wall
carbohydrates and have the ability of cell agglutination. These bioactive proteins
possess enzymatic activities such as fungal immunomodulatory proteins (FIPs),
ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), and laccases. Anti-inflammatory peptides of
different molecular weights have been isolated from mushrooms.
Phenolic Compounds

Phenolic compounds are aromatic hydroxylated compounds with one or more

aromatic rings and hydroxyl groups. Anti-inflammatory properties of many
mushrooms have been attributed to the presence of some phenolic compounds which
include phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, lignans, tannins, flavonoids,
hydroxybenzoic acids, stilbenes, and oxidized polyphenols (De Silva et al., 2012). It
has been reported that these compounds exhibited act as free radical inhibitors,
peroxide decomposers, metal inactivators, or oxygen scavengers (Kaur et al., 2015).

Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are the major class of bioactive compounds found in mushrooms and
possess significant immune-stimulating, antitumor, antioxidant, antibacterial, and
antiviral activities. Fungal polysaccharides are the most potent mushroom derived
substances with antitumor and immunomodulating properties. They are present in cell
wall with different types of glycosidic linkages.

Glucan

β-glucan is one of the key components of several basidiomycetes and ascomycetes cell
wall. It is a long-chain polysaccharide with β-D glucose as basic subunit linked to one
another by one to three glycosidic chain with one to six glycosidic branches. β-glucans
are able to enhance the immune system and prevent and treat several common
diseases to promote health. Fruit body extracts of Pleurotus pulmonarius showed
mixed α-linkages and β-anomeric carbon linkages, whereas polysaccharide from
mycelial extracts has mainly α-glucan linkages.

Terpenes and Triterpenoids

Terpenes are the largest group of anti-inflammatory compounds in mushrooms.

Several terpenes isolated from G. lucidum showed anti-inflammatory activity. Some
triterpenes from G. lucidum (ganoderic acid C and derivatives) are able to inhibit the
biosynthesis of cholesterol, while other triterpenes (ganoderic acid F) contribute to
atherosclerosis protection.
HEALTH BENEFIT OF BIOACTIVE COMPONENT PRESENT IN EDIBLE
MUSHROOMS

Edible mushrooms have numerous therapeutic properties due to the presence of a

large amount of bioactive and nutraceutical components. These are considered highly
effective against various lifestyle diseases such as liver diseases, cancer, diabetes, and
cardiovascular diseases (Kumar et al, 2014). Furthermore, antioxidants and anti-
microbial agents make them able to have immuno-modulatory, anti-ageing, and anti-
microbial effects. Various health benefits of edible mushrooms are discussed under
the following subheadings.

Anti-Carcinogenic Properties

Medicinal mushrooms contain numerous bioactive substances with potential

anticancer properties. These compounds comprise dietary fiber, polysaccharides,
complexes of polysaccharides and proteins, steroids, terpenoids, phenolics, and certain
types of proteins. Daba and Ezeronye (2003) utilized diverse cancer cell lines to
discover the anti-tumor effect of fruit bodies as well as mycelial extracts of
mushrooms. Polysaccharides extracted from mushrooms expressed potential anti-
tumour activity against mammary adenocarcinoma 755, sarcoma 180, and leukaemia
L-1210. Patel and Goyal (2012) reported that the mushrooms possessing anti-
carcinogenic characteristics are from genus Pleurotus, Phellinus, Agaricus, Clitocybe,
Ganoderma, Trametes, Antrodia, Xerocomus, Cordyceps, Schizophyllum, Calvatia,
Flammulina, Inonotus, Suillus, Albatrellus, Inocybe, Funlia, Russula, Lactarius, and
Fomes. Compounds present in mushrooms having anti-cancer characteristics which
play an important role as reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducer, anti-mitotic, a
mitotic kinase inhibitor, topoisomerase inhibitor, and inhibition of angiogenesis
causing apoptosis of cancer cells, ultimately preventing cancer proliferation.

Mushrooms having medicinal characteristics from south India such as Pleurotus

pulmonaris, Phellinus rimosus, Pleurotus florida, and Ganoderma lucidum were
found to have profound antioxidant and anti-tumour activities. These are reported to
be valuable sources of antitumor and antioxidant components, and possess potential
anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic activities (Ajith et al., 2007).

Anti-Oxidative Properties

Antioxidant components present in different food types have the competence to entrap
free radicals and inhibit the oxidative changes responsible for causing different types
of degenerative diseases (Mehra et al., 2020) Natural antioxidants are present in whole
grains, vegetables, fruits, spices, tea, and herbs. Mushrooms, owing to phenolic
components and other polysaccharides, have also been described as a rich source of
antioxidant components. Dietary supplementation of edible mushrooms can reduce
oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant defenses. Mushrooms, either cultivated or
wild, have substantial antioxidant characteristics, mainly due to bioactive components
such as polyphenolic compounds, carotenoids, polysaccharides, and vitamins. Owing
to the occurrence of antioxidants and other health-promoting components, edible
mushrooms are used as prevalent delicacy foods.

Hypo-Cholesterolemic Agents

Cardiovascular disorders are linked with hypercholesterolemia, low-density lipophilic

oxidation, and atherosclerosis. Therefore, blood cholesterol level needs to be regulated
for the prevention as well as treatment of this disease. The low fat and high fibre
contents of edible mushrooms make them the best food for the prevention of cardiac
ailments. Supplementation of edible mushrooms is a natural hypo-cholesteromic and
an anti-sclerotic diet that is regularly recommended in oriental medicine. It has been
observed that the utilization of Termitomyces microcarpus mushrooms has
significantly reduced the occurrence of diseases related to high blood lipids, and
further suggested that high quantities of fibre in the mushrooms can reduce total
serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Hepatoprotective Effects

Damage to the liver is caused mainly by oxidative stress, and is characterized by

fibrosis, chronic hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cirrhosis. An injury produced
in the liver with diminished liver function is known as hepatotoxicity, and can be
caused by the intake of any drug or different non-infectious agents. Similarly, the
ethanolic extract from Calocybe indica has been reported as having the positive
impact against hepatic injury caused due to carbon tetrachloride poisoning in mice and
concluded that this extract protected against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity.
Ganosporeric acid A and ganoderic acids R and S extracted from Ganoderma lucidum
possessed in vitro anti-hepatotoxic effects in primary cultured rat hepatocytes when
examined with the galactosamine-induced cytotoxic test.

Anti-Diabetic Effects

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic problem that can be controlled with an improved

standard of living, exercise, and a suitable diet. Mushrooms can serve as functional
foods in controlling diabetes. These are excellent sources of bioactive components
with anti-diabetic properties. Many species of mushrooms are highly effective in
controlling blood glucose levels and diabetic difficulties. Mushrooms like Agaricus
subrufescens, Agaricus bisporus, Coprinus comatus, Cordyceps sinensis, Inonotus
obliquus, Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus spp., Phellinus linteus, Sparassis crispa, and
Poria cocos are reported in various studies to exert hypoglycemic effects. The edible
mushrooms contain a very low amount of fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, and are rich
in protein, vitamin, and mineral contents, and thus are considered as low-calorie foods
for diabetic patients.

Anti-Microbial Effects

Mushrooms are considered as the best nutritional supplements, with outstanding

medicinal values. Certain edible mushrooms have antimicrobial properties and can
control various human diseases. These were found to have anti-fungal and anti-
bacterial activities against resilient disease-causing microbes. The presence of
phenolic compounds in Inonotus hispidus and ergosterol peroxide in numerous
mushrooms was found to exert in vitro anti-viral effects against influenza viruses.

Mushrooms as Natural Resources of Immunotherapy

Mushrooms are well-known as significant natural sources of immunotherapeutic

components. These can be utilized as immune-stimulating and immune-modulating
agents in treating certain immunodeficiency maladies such as cancer, tumour, HIV,
and tuberculosis. Bioactive components extracted from Pleurotus mushroom are
capable of enhancing or balancing an immune response in the human body. Such
bioactive components include polysaccharide-proteins, polysaccharopeptides,
functional proteins (ubiquitin-like peptide, ubiquinone-9, glycoprotein, and
nebrodeolysin), proteoglycans and glucans. Proteins extracted from Ganoderma.
lucidum and lectins, the sugar-binding proteins from edible mushrooms, have the
capability to modulate the immune system of humans by stimulating (in vitro) the
maturation of immune cells in the human immune system.

Dietary white button mushrooms have been described to increase the movement of
NK (natural killer) cells in mice. NK cells are a significant part of the immune system
and are responsible for anti-tumour and anti-viral defence. The increased NK activity
can be intervened by better production of IFN-g and TNF-a. The intake of Agaricus
bisporus (white button mushrooms) resulted in a shift headed for T-helper 1 response,
and there is a tendency for higher IL-2 and lymphocyte production.
CONCLUSION

Mushrooms contain various components with outstanding properties to prevent or

treat different type of diseases. Because of their low-fat content, mushrooms can be
used in low-calorie diets. The mushroom protein contains all the nine essential amino
acids required by humans. In addition, they are a relatively good source of the
nutrients like phosphorus, iron and vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic
acid, ergosterol, and niacin. Mushrooms have also been reported as therapeutic foods,
useful in preventing diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and
cancer. These functional characteristics are mainly due to the presence of dietary
fibres, bioactive components, antioxidants, lectins and antimicrobial agents.
Mushrooms with immune-modulating polysaccharides are used as health-promoting
food supplement

(nutraceuticals). The mechanism of action of various secondary metabolites isolated

from medicinal and wild edible mushroom is yet to be discovered. With respect to
their high nutritional and therapeutic potential, mushrooms can find different
applications, namely as functional foods or as a source of nutraceuticals for
maintenance and promotion of health and life quality.
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