• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.689-695
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• 2016

In this study, the drying characteristics of medicinal (Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus linteus) and edible (Pleurotus eryngii, Lentinus edodes) mushrooms were investigated. Their shrinkage ratios, Hunter's color values, and rehydration ratios were evaluated. Mushrooms were cut with rectangular (1 cm) and square ($1{\times}1cm$) shapes, and dried in the room temperature and at $50^{\circ}C$ and $70^{\circ}C$ using hot-air dryer. Initial moisture contents of edible mushrooms were higher than those of medicinal mushrooms, whereas final moisture contents were vice versa. Drying rate was the highest when drying at $70^{\circ}C$ (p<0.05). Moreover the drying rate of square slices was higher than that of rectangular slices (p<0.05). The shrinkage ratios of both medicinal mushrooms and edible mushrooms were the least when drying at $50^{\circ}C$ and $70^{\circ}C$, respectively (p<0.05). The changes of color values were less in the medicinal mushrooms dried in the room temperature than in the hot-air dried medicinal mushrooms (p<0.05). However, in case of edible mushrooms, the changes of color values were less in the hot-air dried mushrooms (p<0.05). Rehydration ratios of medicinal mushrooms dried at $50^{\circ}C$ was the highest (p<0.05). In contrast, rehydration ratios of edible mushrooms was the highest when drying in the room temperature (p<0.05). Thus, the hot-air drying at $50^{\circ}C$ would be suggested as the efficient drying method for both medicinal mushrooms and edible mushrooms.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2014

Mushrooms are a recognized component of the human diet, with versatile medicinal properties. Some mushrooms are popular worldwide for their nutritional and therapeutic properties. However, some species are dangerous because they cause toxicity. There are many reports explaining the medicinal and/or toxic effects of these fungal species. Cases of serious human poisoning generally caused by the improper identification of toxic mushroom species are reported every year. Different substances responsible for the fatal signs and symptoms of mushroom toxicity have been identified from various poisonous mushrooms. Toxicity studies of mushroom species have demonstrated that mushroom poisoning can cause adverse effects such as liver failure, bradycardia, chest pain, seizures, gastroenteritis, intestinal fibrosis, renal failure, erythromelalgia, and rhabdomyolysis. Correct categorization and better understanding are essential for the safe and healthy consumption of mushrooms as functional foods as well as for their medicinal use.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to develop molecular identification method for medical mushrooms and their preparations based on the nucleotide sequences of nuclear large subunit (LSD) rDNA. Four specimens were collected of each of the three representative medicinal mushrooms used in Korea: Ganoderma Incidum, Coriolus versicolor, and Fomes fomentarius. Fungal material used in these experiments included two different mycelial cultures and two different fruiting bodies from wild or cultivated mushrooms. The genomic DNA of mushrooms were extracted and 3 nuclear LSU rDNA fragments were amplified: set 1 for the 1.1-kb DNA fragment in the upstream region, set 2 for the 1.2-kb fragment in the middle, and set 3 for the 1.3-kb fragment downstream. The amplified gene products of nuclear large subunit rDNA from 3 different mushrooms were cloned into E. coli vector and subjected to nucleotide sequence determination. The sequence thus determined revealed that the gene sequences of the same medicinal mushroom species were more than $99.48\%$ homologous, and the consensus sequences of 3 different medicinal mushrooms were more than $97.80\%$ homologous. Restriction analysis revealed no useful restriction sites for 6-bp recognition enzymes for distinguishing the 3 sequences from one another, but some distinctive restriction patterns were recognized by the 4-bp recognition enzymes AccII and HhaI. This analysis was also confirmed by PCR-RFLP experiments on medicinal mushrooms.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.230-251
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• 2017

According to the survey on higher fungi from 2009 to 2011 and also in 2015 in Byeonsanbando National Park, a total of 2 division, 6 class, 18 orders, 61 families, 157 genera and 323 species were observed. In case of Agaricales, there were 23 families, 67 genera and 153 species; Boletales, there were 6 families, 27 genera and 45 species; Russulales, there were 3 family, 4 genera and 40 species; Polyporales, there were 6 family, 21 genera, 28 species. Thus, most of them belonged to the following 4 orders: Agaricales, Russulales, Boletales and Polyporales. Dominant species belonged to Boletaceae (37 species), Russulaceae (36 species), Agaricaceae (28 species) and Amamtaceae (25 species). For the habitat environment, the ectomycorrhizal mushrooms were 40.2% (poisonous mushrooms, 46 species; edible & medicinal mushrooms, 51 species; unknown edible & poisonous mushrooms, 26 species), litter decomposing and wood rotting fungi 35.3%(poisonous mushrooms, 10 species; edible & medicinal mushrooms, 52 species; unknown edible & poisonous mushrooms, 46species), grounding Fungi 22.3%(poisonous mushrooms, 8 species; edible & medicinal mushrooms, 31 species; unknown edible & poisonous mushrooms, 29 species). Monthly, most of poisonous mushrooms, edible & medicinal mushrooms and unknown edible & poisonous mushrooms were found in July and August. In terms of altitude, the most species were observed at 1~99m and the populations dropped by a significant level at an altitude of 200m or higher. It seemed that the most diversified poisonous mushrooms, edible & medicinal mushrooms and unknown edible & poisonous mushrooms occurred at climate conditions with a mean air temperature at $24.0{\sim}25.9^{\circ}C$, the highest air temperature at $28.0{\sim}29.9^{\circ}C$, the lowest air temperature at $20.0{\sim}21.9^{\circ}C$, a relative humidity at 77.0~79.9% and a rainfall of 300.0~499.9mm.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2015

Medicinal fungi, taken whole or as various forms of extracts, have been used to alleviate, cure or prevent human ailments since pre-historic times. In particular, Asian cultures have incorporated a variety of mushrooms into their medical practices. Chemically pure, bioactive metabolites from fungi have been a mainstay of modern pharmacological research and in addition to antibiotics, include anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, enzyme inhibitors, antagonist and agonists of hormones, and a variety of psychotropic substances. However, to date not many studies have focused on the possible health benefits of odorant volatile organic compounds (i.e., gas phase compounds). An analysis of these compounds for their health related effects will expand the range of compounds available for the treatment of chronic and acute diseases. This review highlights phenolic acids and monoterpenes from Asian medicinal mushrooms (AMMs), which not only produce pleasant odors but also have antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Odorant bioactive volatile phase compounds from medicinal mushrooms remain an essentially untapped source for future medicines, and AMMs remain a promising resource for future pharmacological research.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2017

Turkey has a very rich fungal flora due to its phytogeographical position. The screening of chemical content and active substances of mushrooms becomes an important subject not only for Turkey but also for all over the world. In the last decade, Analyses on phytochemical and biological activity of fungi have gradually increased as a result of improvement in the number and quality of facilities. In the scope of the present research, four medicinal mushrooms; Morchella elata, Lactarius volemus, Cantharellus cibarius and Tricholoma terreum were analyzed for their fatty acid compositions and antioxidant capacities. The fungal species have been found with unsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio of 6.73 for Morchella elata, 4.12 for Lactarius volemus, 5.21 for Cantharellus cibarius, 3.73 for Tricholama terrum. In addition, the concentration of malondialdehyde which was an indicator of lipid peroxidation was also determined in these species. According to the results, free radical scavenging activity of Morchella elata and Lactarius volemus were found higher than the other species. Any of the mushroom species investigated were found having very high metal chelating activity. The results showed that the extract of Morchella elata and Lactarius volemus exhibited significant antioxidant activities. Hence, the mushrooms have a potential to be a natural antioxidant in food industries as antioxidant agent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.655-662
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• 2013

The antioxidant and anticancer effects of the edible mushrooms Lentinus edodes (LE, Pyogo mushroom) and Agaricus blazei (AB, Agaricus mushroom), and the medicinal mushrooms Cordyceps militaris (CM, Dong chunghacho), Ganoderma lucidum (GL, Youngji mushroom), Inonotus obliquus (IO, Chaga mushroom), and Phellinus linteus (PL, Sangwhang mushroom) were studied in vitro. The bioactive components were extracted by methanol. The antioxidant effects were evaluated using the DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. The antioxidant activities of medicinal mushrooms (35~90%) were higher than edible mushrooms (4~23%). The in vitro anticancer effects of the mushrooms were evaluated using the MTT assay in AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells, HCT-116 colon carcinoma cells, and HepG2 hepatoma cells. The medicinal mushrooms CM, GL, IO, and PL showed 28~91% inhibition, while the edible mushrooms LE and AB exhibited 5~40% inhibition. The medicinal mushrooms, compared to edible mushrooms, effectively down-regulated the gene expression of the anti-apoptosis related gene Bcl-2 and inflammation-related genes iNOS and COX-2, and up-regulated the pro-apoptosis gene Bax (p<0.05). Total polyphenol and flavonoids contents of the medicinal mushrooms were 9.1~35.7 mg/g, while the edible mushrooms showed 0~13.3 mg/g. This study showed that antioxidant activities and anticancer activities in vitro increased in the order LE, AB, GL, CM, IO and PL. LE and AB showed the lowest effects among the samples, GL and CM had medium effects, and IO and PL exhibited the highest effects in the antioxidant and anticancer effect for three different human cancer cells. Taken together, PL resulted in the highest and LE the lowest effects in this study.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.77-81
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• 2014

Mushrooms are considered not only as food but also for source of physiologically beneficial medicines. The culinary-medicinal mushrooms may important role in the prevention of age-associated neurological dysfunctions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus), is edible mushrooms, is a parasitic fungus that grows hanging off of logs and trees and well established candidate for brain and nerve health. H. erinaceus contains high amounts of antioxidants, beta-glucan, polysaccharides and a potent catalyst for brain tissue regeneration and helps to improve memory and cognitive functions. Its fruiting bodies and the fungal mycelia exhibit various pharmacological activities, including the enhancement of the immune system, antitumor, hypoglycemic and anti-aging properties. H. erinaceus stimulates the synthesis of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) which is the primary protein nutrient responsible for enhancing and repairing neurological disorders. Especially hericenones and erinacines isolated from its fruitin body stimulate NGF, synthesis. This fungus is also utilized to regulate blood levels of glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol. H. erinaceus can be considered as useful therapeutic agents in the management and/or treatment of neurodegeneration diseases. However, this review focuses on in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials for neurodegerative disease.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.239-243
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• 2012

Mushrooms have a long history of use in traditional medicine, and hundreds of novel constituents in mushrooms with miraculous biological properties have been identified recently. Although diverse effects for medicinal use of mushrooms such as anticancer activity are proven, their reversal activities of drug resistance in cancer cells was rarely reported so far. In the search for novel medicinal use of mushrooms, we tested the multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal activities of diverse mushrooms collected from Korea. Among, the mushroom extracts tested, Cantharellus cibarius (M02) and Russula emetica (M12) revealed MDR reversal activities of paclitaxel in the P-glycoprotein (Pgp)-positive HCT15 and MES-SA/dX5 cancer cells, but not in the Pgp-negative A549 and MES-SA cancer cells. In addition, these mushrooms also enhanced the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, another well-kwown Pgp-associated anticancer drug against MES-SA/DX5 cells, but not against MES-SA cells. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, a well-known Pgp-non-associated anticancer drug, was not affected by the mushrooms all the cells tested. From these results, we suspected that some ingredients of M02 and M12 have Pgp-associated MDR reversal activities.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.107-114
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• 2020

Fifteen species of wild mushrooms, which are classified as edible, medicinal, poisonous, or unknown types, were analyzed for their free amino acid contents. The average total amino acid content was 1,120.0 mg/kg in the edible type, 1,037.8 mg/kg in the medicinal type, and 1,010.8 mg/kg in the poisonous or unknown type, respectively. The edible type wild mushrooms showed the highest average content of total essential amino acids; conversely, the poisonous or unknown type showed the lowest content. Leucopaxillus giganteus (OK811) showed the highest total amino acid (1,212.4 mg/kg) and essential amino acid (490.2 mg/kg) contents among edible type, while Pycnoporus sanguineus (OK1071) showed the highest total amino acid (1,233.7 mg/kg) and essential amino acid (412.8 mg/kg) contents among the medicinal type. Among the poisonous or unknown type, Hypholoma fasciculare (OK826) showed the highest total amino acid (1,223.4 mg/kg) and essential amino acid (442.8 mg/kg) contents. The amino acid contents of wild mushrooms are fundamental data for the screening of useful genetic resources with nutritionally superior properties.