Functional foods from mushroom

Authors: RAGHAVENDRA, VINAY - University Of Mysore; VENKITASAMY, CHANDRASEKAR - University Of California; Pan, Zhongli; NAYAK, CHANDRA - University Of Mysore

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2017
Publication Date: 9/1/2017
Citation: Raghavendra, V.B., Venkitasamy, C., Pan, Z., Nayak, C. 2017. Functional foods from mushroom. In: Microbial Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. Gupta, V.K., Treichel, H., Shapaval, V., de Oliveira, L.A., Tuohy, M.G., editors. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. p. 65-92.

Interpretive Summary: Mushrooms constitute 22,000 known species which are widely available on earth and about 10% of them are explored for their domestication, nutritional value and health benefits. Only few species of mushrooms are edible. Edible mushrooms are appreciated not only for their texture and flavor but also for the chemical and nutritional characteristics. Many Asian countries use traditionally wild edible mushrooms as delicious and nutritional foods and medicine. Mushrooms are not only a source of nutrients but also are a protein-rich food cultivated all over the world as an important agricultural product. In recent years, mushroom has gained a remarkable amount of interest for its delicious taste and nutritional and medicinal value. Mushrooms have been reported as therapeutic foods, useful in preventing diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and cancer. Certain mushroom species have antitumor, antiviral, antithrombotic, and immune-modulating properties. This chapter provides a comprehensive review on the cultivation of different mushroom species, various nutritional components present in the mushrooms, medicinal and nutraceutical values of various mushroom species and the biological activities of mushrooms and their active components.

Technical Abstract: Mushrooms are defined as “a macro fungus with distinctive fruiting bodies that could be hypogeous or epigeous, large enough to be seen by naked eyes and to be picked by hands.” The Basidiomycetes and some species of Ascomycetes are categorized as mushrooms. Mushrooms constitute 22,000 known species which are widely available and about 10% of them have been explored for their nutritional value and health benefits. Only a few species of mushrooms are edible. Edible mushrooms are appreciated not only for their texture and flavor but also for their chemical and nutritional characteristics. Many Asian countries traditionally use wild edible mushrooms as nutritional foods and medicine. Mushrooms have higher protein contents and minerals and contain less fat but are rich in B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin K, and sometimes vitamins A and C. They are sources of nutrients and also have been reported as therapeutic foods, useful in preventing diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and cancer. Certain mushroom species have antitumor, antiviral, antithrombotic, and immune-modulating properties. A limited number of mushroom species have the potential to lower elevated blood sugar levels. This chapter provides a comprehensive review on the cultivation of different mushroom species, various nutritional components present in the mushrooms, medicinal and nutraceutical values of mushroom species and the biological activities of mushrooms and its active components.