Cordyceps spp. mushrooms have a long tradition of use as a natural raw material in Asian ethnomedicine because of their adaptogenic, tonic effects and their ability to reduce fatigue and stimulate the immune system in humans. This review aims to present the chemical composition and medicinal properties of Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies and mycelium, as well as mycelium from in vitro cultures. The analytical results of the composition of C. militaris grown in culture media show the bioactive components such as cordycepin, polysaccharides, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), ergothioneine and others described in the review. To summarize, based on the presence of several bioactive compounds that contribute to biological activity, C. militaris mushrooms definitely deserve to be considered as functional foods and also have great potential for medicinal use. Recent scientific reports indicate the potential of cordycepin in antiviral activity, particularly against COVID-19.
This review focuses on four new product categories of food supplements: pre‐workout, fat burner/thermogenic, brain/cognitive booster, and hormone/testosterone booster. Many food supplements have been shown to be contaminated with unauthorized substances. In some cases, the ingredients in the new categories of dietary supplements were medicinal products or new synthetic compounds added without performing clinical trials. Some of the new ingredients in dietary supplements are plant materials that are registered in the pharmacopoeia as herbal medicines. In other cases, dietary supplements may contain plant materials that have no history of human use and are often used as materials to ‘camouflage’ stimulants. In the European Union, new ingredients of dietary supplements, according to European Food Safety Authority or unauthorized novel food. Furthermore, selected ingredients in dietary supplements may be prohibited in sports and are recognized as doping agents by World Anti‐Doping Agency.
The mycelium of Lentinula edodes produces enzymes which may degrade xenobiotics including steroid hormones. The aim of the study was to determine whether the mycelium from in vitro cultures of L. edodes are able to degrade endocrine disruptors such as testosterone and 17α-ethynylestradiol. To prove the possibility of xenobiotics degradation, cultures of L. edodes were cultivated in an Oddoux liquid medium with the addition of synthetic 17α-ethynylestradiol and synthetic testosterone. The endocrine disruptors were extracted from the mycelium and determined qualitatively by RP-HPLC. The degradation products of testosterone and 17α-ethynylestradiol were identified using a UPLC/MS/MS analysis. Undegraded testosterone was determined at the amount of 2.97 mg/g dry weight but only in one of the L. edodes extracts from in vitro cultures supplemented with 50 mg of this compound. In turn, 17α-ethynylestradiol was not determined in any samples. Additionally in all extracts, mushroom sterols (ergosterol peroxide and ergosterol) were determined. Their total amounts were significantly lower in samples containing the abovementioned steroids than in extracts from mycelium L. edodes without the addition of steroid hormones. The results demonstrated that the mycelium of L. edodes can be used in the biodegradation process of a water environment contaminated with endocrine disruptors.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13205-018-1458-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
The presence of selenium in European soil is low and this causes its deficiency in livestock and, in consequence, in humans. This study aimed to obtain Lentinula (L.) edodes mycelium with the maximum content of selenium. This species was used for experiment based on its documented medicinal properties. Calves were fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium, and serum selenium concentration, average daily weight gains and selected immune parameters were estimated. The selenium-enriched mushroom was found to be safe based on cytotoxicity tests (MTT and LDH tests) and for this reason it was used for further experiments. The mean quantity of selenium in the serum of calves fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium was significantly higher than that of control calves. Additionally, the calves fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium had higher body weight gains than those of control calves. White blood cell counts and subpopulations of lymphocytes in the experimental and control calves were within the reference range. The administration of L. edodes enriched with selenium had a beneficial effect on state of health of the calves.
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