Besides nutritional properties, mushrooms have attracted market attention because they are a potential source of bioactive compounds able to perform several functions in organisms with benefits for consumer health. In recent years Coriolus versicolor aroused interest among researchers because of the bioactive properties demonstrated.
Polysaccharopeptide (PSP) and polysaccharopeptide Krestin (PSK) have shown to be useful adjuncts to the therapy of cancer; these polysaccharides from C. versicolor have also shown prebiotic activity, stimulating the growth of probiotic bacteria. This review article highlights the health-promoting potential of several mushroom species with special emphasis on C. versicolor.

(1) Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal

(2) Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad (CIRENYS), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Fábrica N∘ 1990, Segundo Piso, Santiago, Chile

(3) CEIL, Lúrio University, Marrere, Nampula, Mozambique


Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. Vol. 4, No. 12, 2016, pp 773-781

Some mushrooms have been known to exhibit several medicinal properties for thousands of years in Japanese and other Asian cultures. The Reishi mushroom, also known as Ganoderma lucidum, is well characterized (in Traditional Chinese Medicine) for the prevention and treatment of several disease states such as cancer, allergies and asthma. In the west, Reishi is commonly sold in the extract form. This study shows the difference in the concentration of both enzymes and beta-glucans between one Reishi extract sample and one Reishi biomass sample.

ESCVN/ ECVCN – 5 – 7th October 2006 - Nantes

This work was conducted with a mushroom (Coriolus versicolor) which is in the market for human and animal use. Mushroom polysaccharides, particularly ß-glucans, have antitumour and immunomodulating properties.

Presented at the 5th International Symposium on Mushroom Nutrition, University of Westminster, June 14th, 2002.

In this abstract, Professor Karmali measures the in vitro content of SOD, Cytochrome P-450, Cytochrome P-450 reductase in various mushrooms (Grifola frondosa, Ganoderma lucidium, Cordyceps sinensis and Coriolus versicolor) per 500 mg tablet.

To contact Professor Karmali Biotechnology Section

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL)

Tel:351-21-831-7052 / Fax:351-21-831-7267

Email: akarmali@isel.ipl.pt