Archives in Food and Nutrition
Extended Abstracts
The medical benefits of Mushrooms in Public Health
Emmanuel Olumuyiwa Onifade1, Innocent Okonkwo Ogbonna1, Ebah Esther Eneyi1, Olofintila Oladotun
Blessing2, Ode Tosin Adebola3, Stephen Olaide Aremu4 and Itodo Samuel Olusegun5
Federal University of Agriculture, Nigeria
Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Nigeria
3
Salem University, Nigeria
4
Siberian State Medical University, Russian Federation
5
College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Nigeria
1
2
Abstract
Mushrooms are fungi, particularly the order of Basidiomyecetes or
Ascomycetes, fleshy-fungi with a small umbrella like structure. The
use of mushroom takes a different approach among other fungi not
all mushrooms are edible. There are more than 70,000 fungi species
discovered in the world, only few edible mushrooms from the forest
in West African countries in particular Nigeria are consumed as food.
Agaricales are edible while Amanita species are non-edible mushrooms.
Mushrooms are unique because both edible and non-edible have
medicinal values. This review unveils medicinal benefits of mushrooms
in public health through the analysis of the historical perspective of the
organisms, methods of cultivation, methods of extraction, and various
medical implications such as it is used in the treatment of cancer.
The therapeutic effect of mushrooms consumption in diet cannot be
overemphasized in the public health, because compounds extracted
from mushrooms such as Agaricus blazei is capable of healing cancer,
arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, chronic hepatitis and diabetes. In
general, chronic catarrh, breast and hinges illness can be taken care of
with the aids of medicinal mushroom. Others illnesses that consumption
of mushrooms can heal include jaundice, dropsy, intestinal worms,
tuberculosis, rheumatism and gout.
Introduction
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore -bearing fruiting body
of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food
source. Mushrooms are fleshy-fungi with a small umbrella like
structure. The part include cap like structure known as pileus (Plural:
Pilli) which is attached with a thread like structure known as mycelius
(plural: mycelia). Mushroom derives nutrients from the soil with the
aid of mycelia (Deacon, 2006). However, there is no need of sunlight
for their growth. Basically, mushroom grows on animal wastes, dead
decay plants like wood, rice straw, plantain leaves and orange leaves
and humus(Okigbo and Nwatu, 2015; Webster and Weber, 2007).
Mushroom grows on moist soils which are so rich in organic matter
(Teferi et al., 2013).The use of mushroom takes a different approach
among other fungi because not all mushroom are edible. Mushrooms
are fungi, particularly the order of Basidomyecetes or Ascomycetes
are fleshy-fungi with a small umbrella like structure. Despite the fact
that there are more than 70,000 fungi species discovered in the world,
yet only 31 general of 2000 species are edible mushrooms while about
10% of some 30 species are poisonous mushrooms (Zeid et al., 2011).
Obviously the study of mushrooms based on how people of a particular
location and culture make use of it reveals the description, biology,
10th International Conference on Food Science & Technology
March 18-19, 2020 | Frankfurt, Germany
cultivation, nutritional values, medicinal properties, storage and
benefits of consumption of mushrooms to human beings (Okigbo and
Nwatu, 2015; Deacon, 2006). Nevertheless, edible mushrooms from the
forest in West African countries, Nigeria in particular, are consumedas
food. Some of these species belong to order agaricales and amanita.
Agaricales are edible mushroom while amanita species are non-edible
mushroom (Okigbo and Nwa, 2012; Idio and Obinaju, 2013).
Mushrooms are unique because both edible and non-edible ones have
medical benefits. This review unveiled benefits of mushrooms in
public health through theanalysis of the historical perspectives of the
organisms, methods of cultivation, methods of extraction, and various
medical implications such as it is used in the treatment of cancer.
Significant of Mushroom in Public Health
The role mushroom play in medicine cannot be overemphasized in
public health as many countries such as China, Nigeria and others
sees it beyond the level of single cell protein but a vital product of
great medical benefits. The following are significant health benefit of
mushroom:
i. Organoleptic Function: Lentinus edodes (Shiitake mushroom) are
used for the purpose of organoleptic function. So, regular consumption
of whole medicinal, edible mushrooms couldintroduce a functional or
medicinal contribution within the individual’s diet. The extent of the
health beneficial effect will be dependent on the level and regularity of
consumption and the relevance of whole fresh medicinal mushrooms.
Therefore, when mushroom is usedas therapeutic agents, the mushroom
can be consumed as powdered concentrates or extracts in hot water,
and the extractconcentrated and used as a drink or freeze-dried or
spray-dried to form granular powders which allow easier handling,
transportation and consumption (Mizuno et al.,1995). As such, these
liquid concentrates or dried, powdered mushrooms containedin capsules
can be considered as dietary supplements or mushroom nutriceuticals
with potential health benefits (Chang and Buswell, 1996). Mushroom
nutriceuticals are usually crude mixtures and should not be confused
with pharmaceuticals whichare almost invariably a defined chemical
preparation, the specifications for which arelisted in pharmacopoeia.
Regular intake of these concentrates is believed toenhance the immune
responses of the human body, thereby increasing resistance todisease
and in some cases causing regression of the disease state (Jong et
al.1991).
ii. Disease Resistance: Mushroom are taken as supplements in
traditionalmedicine of Chinese as well as used alongside with various
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Archives in Food and Nutrition
combinations especially with other herbal products to treatmany
medical conditions. This is also the same in Japan because a limited
number of highlypurified polysaccharidecompounds derived from
certain medicinal mushrooms are now being used by Japanese as
immune system modulation just as it was being used in Chinese holistic
medicine. So, compounds derived from certain medicinal mushrooms
are used extensively in the Orient to increase disease resistance to
normalise body functions. Such extracts are used to treat deficient
principles; they are very important to life for energy through production
of blood or other body fluid and help proper function of some organs
such as the kidney (Alinia-Ahandani et al., 2018).
iii. Treatment of Cancer: One of the most noticeable features of extracts
derived from many medicinal mushrooms is their ability to function
as immune modulators. Physiologically, host defense mechanisms are
improved by the intake of these mushroom compounds which restore
homeostasis and enhance resistance to disease. A central premise in
Oriental medicine is to regulate homeostasis of the whole body and to
return the diseased individual to the normal state. It is interesting to
note that several of the medicinal mushrooms and their concentrates
are becoming particularly popular in the US – the movement began
with a drive towards “healthy food” in the 60s-70s; now it is towards
“healthy medicine”. People are interested in the medicinal mushrooms
because they appear to have been used with considerable effect for
hundreds of years in the Orient while many modern widely used
pharmaceuticals while offering undoubted health benefits can also in
some cases have serious side-effects. (Cassileth, 2000; Curt, 1998).
Meanwhile, immune-stimulating agents would possibly be useful
adjuncts toconventional treatments of cancer if they do not interfere
with the ability of theconventional treatment to kill tumour cells.
These approaches, like chemo- andradiotherapy, are designed to cause
the destruction of tumour cells but to be much more tumour-specific
than present treatments and, consequently, less harmful to normal
cells. Obviously, this reveals a slogan used for the purpose of optimal
health and the tenet of Hippocrates c 400 B.C. that “Let food be your
medicine and medicine beyour food” which went viral among many
people for over the last 2-3 decades scientific as medical studies
have been carriedout in Japan, China, Korea and more recently US
which have increasinglydemonstrated the potent and unique health
enhancing properties of compoundsextracted from a range of medicinal
mushrooms.
iv. Mushrooms are used as therapeutic foods: They prevent diseases
such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis and
cancer mainly due to their chemical composition (Daba et al., 2008).
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of certain types of fungi play key
roles in forest ecosystems that they have unique abilities to break down
wood, leaves, and other organic matter and recycle nutrients back
into the system. Pleurotus species are popular and widely cultivated
throughout the world mostly in Asia and Europe owing to their simple
and low cost production technology and higher biological efficiency
(Fekadu, 2000) describes that, the higher contents of mushrooms is
water (90%), protein (2-40%), fat (2-8%), carbohydrates (1-55%), fiber
(3-32%), and ash (Florezak et al. 2004 Wannet et al., 2000, Singh and
Singh, 2002).
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Extended Abstracts
v. Mushrooms prevent hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular
diseases: Mushroom also have high fiber content, proteins,
microelements, and lower caloric content are almost ideal for a nutrition
program aimed to prevent hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular
diseases. Therefore, it aids lowering of lipoprotein cholesterol and
cholesterol in the blood. Thus mushrooms serve as antioxidant and help
in the regulation of blood lipid levels thereby aids in the regulation of
blood glucose levels (Selima et al., 2012).
vi. Medicinal Food: Mushrooms are medicinal foods that are rich in
nutrition that recognized by medical profession throughout the world.
So in public health, mushrooms have eight important amino acids,
polyunsaturated fatty acids and small amounts of saturated fatty acids
and have higher nutritional values than fish or beef (Fekadu, 2000).
Application of Mushroom in Medicine
Mushrooms are so useful nowadays especially in medicine (Girma et
al., 2018), for treatment of hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia
and cancer. This is possible as a result of chitin and beta glucans
which are dietary fiber capable of serving as antitumor, antiviral, and
antithrombotic and immunomodulating agent properties and some
mushrooms may have potential to lower elevated blood sugar levels
(Jose et al., 2002). According to the report of Sasidharan et al. (2010),
Pleurotus species have high medicinal value (Alinia-Ahandani et al.,
2018).
Mushrooms as Antitumor Agent
Some mushrooms such as Lentinus (Lentinula) edodes, Schizophyllum
commune, Grifolafrondosa, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, particularly
their respective β-glucans, lentinan, schizophyllan (also called SPG,
sonifilan, or sizofiran), grifolan, and SSG are known for antitumoral
activity. Most of the β-(1-6)- branched β-(1-3)-linked glucans, are able
to act as antitumor activity (Manjunathan and Kaviyarasan, 2010). Ethyl
acetate, methanol and aqueous extract of Pleurotusrimosus can inhibit
the Dalton’s Lymphoma Ascites (DLA) cell line induced solid tumor
and EAC cell line induced ascites tumor in mice but the antitumor effect
is high in ethyl acetate extract than the other extracts. Antitumor activity
of is again used by According to Joseph et al. (2009), methanol extracts
of G. lucidum gave significant antitumor properties by inhibiting the
tumor development in EAC cell line induced solid tumor model in
mice. Polysaccharides extracted from myceliumand fruiting bodies of
L. tuberregium effectively inhibited solid tumour proliferation in mice
(Halliwell, 2003).
Anti-inflammatory Agent
Extracted ethanol from cultured mycelium of M. esculenta is well
known for its anti-inflammatory activity and is important but based
on dose to inhibit both acute and chronic inflammation in mice model
that is comparable to the standard of Diclofenac. The acute and chronic
anti-inflammatory activities of ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts
from G. lucidum are expressed through carrageen an induced acute and
formalin induced chronic inflammatory models in mice (Joseph et al.,
2009; Halliwell, 2003).
Mushrooms as Antioxidant
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Archives in Food and Nutrition
Oxidation is essential in many living organisms for the production of
energy to fuel biological processes (Girma and Tasisa, 2018; Halliwell,
2003). However, uncontrolled production of oxygen-derived free
radicals results in the onset of many diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid
arthritis and atherosclerosis, as well as in degenerative processes
associated with aging (Lakshmi et al., 2003). Ethyl acetate, methanol
and aqueous extract of G. lucidum are high inhibitor of O2• and •OH
radicals, but aqueous extract cannot inhibit ferrous ion induced lipid
peroxidation whereas ethanol extracts of the mycelium of G.lucidum as
high antiperoxidative activity (Joseph et al. 2009; Lakshmi et al., 2003).
10th International Conference on Food Science & Technology
March 18-19, 2020 | Frankfurt, Germany
Extended Abstracts
Conclusion
The therapeutic effect of mushroom cannot be overemphasized in the
public health because compounds extracted from mushrooms such as
Agaricus blazei which is capable of healing cancer, arteriosclerosis,
hyperlipidemia, chronic hepatitis and even diabetes.Thus, apart
from consumption of mushroom as food; it also play major role in
medicine such asanti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-hypertension, antihypercholesterolemia and antioxidant. Also, chronic catarrh, breast
and hinges illness, jaundice, dropsy, intestinal worms, tuberculosis,
rheumatism and gout can be cured by medicinal mushroom.
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