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Bioactive Compounds with Potential Medicinal Properties from Mushrooms
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Bioactive Compounds with Potential Medicinal Properties from Mushrooms

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 20908

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chow Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
Interests: natural products from macrofungi/mushrooms; natural products chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology; isolation and structure elucidation of fungal natural products; bioactive small molecules and polysaccharides; heterologous expression of fungal biosynthetic gene clusters
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of fungi, are a well-known source of natural products for medicinal compounds. However, only 10% of approximately 150,000 macrofungi have been described worldwide. This suggests that mushrooms or fungi remain a largely untapped source for drug discovery.

This Special Issue of Molecules aims to stimulate further interest in the scientific community to explore mushrooms or fungi for bioactive compounds with potential medicinal properties. We cordially invite researchers to contribute original research articles on, but not limited to, the isolation and structural elucidation of bioactive large molecules (e.g., polysaccharide, proteins or polysaccharide-peptide) or small molecules from mushrooms or fungi.

In this Special Issue, we also welcome reviews or perspectives related to the topic. We are particularly interested in reviews on specific diseases on which mushrooms or compounds from mushrooms have an impact or potential impact.

Dr. Chow Lee
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Mushrooms
  • Fungi
  • Polysaccharides
  • Polysaccharide–peptide
  • Small molecules
  • Bioactive compounds
  • Medicinal compounds
  • Isolation
  • Structural elucidation
  • Biochemical assays
  • Human diseases

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1939 KiB  
Article
Vasodilatory Effect of Phellinus linteus Extract in Rat Mesenteric Arteries
by Youngin Kwon, Chae Eun Haam, Seonhee Byeon, Soo Jung Choi, Dong-Hoon Shin, Soo-Kyoung Choi and Young-Ho Lee
Molecules 2020, 25(14), 3160; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25143160 - 10 Jul 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2773
Abstract
Phellinus linteus is a well-known medicinal mushroom that is widely used in Asian countries. In several experimental models, Phellinus linteus extracts were reported to have various biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, and anti-angiogenic activity. In the present study, several bioactive [...] Read more.
Phellinus linteus is a well-known medicinal mushroom that is widely used in Asian countries. In several experimental models, Phellinus linteus extracts were reported to have various biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, and anti-angiogenic activity. In the present study, several bioactive compounds, including palmitic acid ethyl ester and linoleic acid, were identified in Phellinus linteus. The intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (IKCa) plays an important role in the regulation of the vascular smooth muscle cells’ (VSMCs) contraction and relaxation. The activation of the IKCa channel causes the hyperpolarization and relaxation of VSMCs. To examine whether Phellinus linteus extract causes vasodilation in the mesenteric arteries of rats, we measured the isometric tension using a wire myograph. After the arteries were pre-contracted with U46619 (a thromboxane analogue, 1 µM), Phellinus linteus extract was administered. The Phellinus linteus extract induced vasodilation in a dose-dependent manner, which was independent of the endothelium. To further investigate the mechanism, we used the non-selective K+ channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA). TEA significantly abolished Phellinus linteus extract-induced vasodilation. Thus, we tested three different types of K+ channel blockers: iberiotoxin (BKca channel blocker), apamin (SKca channel blocker), and charybdotoxin (IKca channel blocker). Charybdotoxin significantly inhibited Phellinus linteus extract-induced relaxation, while there was no effect from apamin and iberiotoxin. Membrane potential was measured using the voltage-sensitive dye bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid)-trimethine oxonol (DiBAC4(3)) in the primary isolated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We found that the Phellinus linteus extract induced hyperpolarization of VSMCs, which is associated with a reduced phosphorylation level of 20 KDa myosin light chain (MLC20). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds with Potential Medicinal Properties from Mushrooms)
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18 pages, 874 KiB  
Article
Selenium and Zinc Biofortification of Pleurotus eryngii Mycelium and Fruiting Bodies as a Tool for Controlling Their Biological Activity
by Piotr Zięba, Katarzyna Kała, Anna Włodarczyk, Agnieszka Szewczyk, Edward Kunicki, Agnieszka Sękara and Bożena Muszyńska
Molecules 2020, 25(4), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25040889 - 17 Feb 2020
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4843
Abstract
Pleurotus eryngii (DC:Fr.) Quel. is a cultivated mushroom of high culinary value and medicinal properties. Mycelium of P. eryngii is characterized by the ability of effective bio-elements absorption from growth media so it could be biofortified with trace elements with a functional activity [...] Read more.
Pleurotus eryngii (DC:Fr.) Quel. is a cultivated mushroom of high culinary value and medicinal properties. Mycelium of P. eryngii is characterized by the ability of effective bio-elements absorption from growth media so it could be biofortified with trace elements with a functional activity in the human body. In this study, the ability of P. eryngii mycelia from in vitro cultures as well as fruiting bodies were investigated in terms of their effectiveness in zinc and selenium accumulation. The effect of Se and Zn biofortification on productivity, chemical compounds, and bio-elements content of P. eryngii was determined as well. To enhance Se and Zn content in P. eryngii fruiting bodies and mycelia, substrates were supplemented with sodium selenite, at a concentration of 50 mg L−1, zinc sulfate, and zinc hydro-aspartate at a concentration of 87.2 and 100.0 mg L−1, respectively. Mentioned Zn concentrations contained the same amount of zinc(II) ions, namely 20 mg L−1. The content of organic compounds include phenolic compounds and lovastatin, which were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with UV detection. The ability of P. eryngii to accumulate zinc and selenium from the culture medium was demonstrated. The degree of accumulation of zinc turned out to be different depending on the type of salt used. The present study also showed that conducting mycelium of P. eryngii in in vitro culture, with a higher content of zinc ions, can result in obtaining the materials with better antioxidant ability. The results of this study can be used to develop the composition of growing media, which ensures the production of biomass with the desired composition of elements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds with Potential Medicinal Properties from Mushrooms)
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Review

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24 pages, 1251 KiB  
Review
Medicinal Properties and Bioactive Compounds from Wild Mushrooms Native to North America
by Mehreen Zeb and Chow H. Lee
Molecules 2021, 26(2), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26020251 - 06 Jan 2021
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6990
Abstract
Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of fungi, are known for a long time in different cultures around the world to possess medicinal properties and are used to treat various human diseases. Mushrooms that are parts of traditional medicine in Asia had been extensively studied [...] Read more.
Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of fungi, are known for a long time in different cultures around the world to possess medicinal properties and are used to treat various human diseases. Mushrooms that are parts of traditional medicine in Asia had been extensively studied and this has led to identification of their bioactive ingredients. North America, while home to one of the world’s largest and diverse ecological systems, has not subjected its natural resources especially its diverse array of mushroom species for bioprospecting purposes: Are mushrooms native to North America a good source for drug discovery? In this review, we compile all the published studies up to September 2020 on the bioprospecting of North American mushrooms. Out of the 79 species that have been investigated for medicinal properties, 48 species (60%) have bioactivities that have not been previously reported. For a mere 16 selected species, 17 new bioactive compounds (10 small molecules, six polysaccharides and one protein) have already been isolated. The results from our literature search suggest that mushrooms native to North America are indeed a good source for drug discovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds with Potential Medicinal Properties from Mushrooms)
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20 pages, 1532 KiB  
Review
A Report on Fungal (1→3)-α-d-glucans: Properties, Functions and Application
by Katarzyna Złotko, Adrian Wiater, Adam Waśko, Małgorzata Pleszczyńska, Roman Paduch, Jolanta Jaroszuk-Ściseł and Andrzej Bieganowski
Molecules 2019, 24(21), 3972; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24213972 - 02 Nov 2019
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5714
Abstract
The cell walls of fungi are composed of glycoproteins, chitin, and α- and β-glucans. Although there are many reports on β-glucans, α-glucan polysaccharides are not yet fully understood. This review characterizes the physicochemical properties and functions of (1→3)-α-d-glucans. Particular attention has [...] Read more.
The cell walls of fungi are composed of glycoproteins, chitin, and α- and β-glucans. Although there are many reports on β-glucans, α-glucan polysaccharides are not yet fully understood. This review characterizes the physicochemical properties and functions of (1→3)-α-d-glucans. Particular attention has been paid to practical application and the effect of glucans in various respects, taking into account unfavourable effects and potential use. The role of α-glucans in plant infection has been proven, and collected facts have confirmed the characteristics of Aspergillus fumigatus infection associated with the presence of glucan in fungal cell wall. Like β-glucans, there are now evidence that α-glucans can also stimulate the immune system. Moreover, α-d-glucans have the ability to induce mutanases and can thus decompose plaque. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds with Potential Medicinal Properties from Mushrooms)
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