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Review
. 2024 Feb 15;10(2):153.
doi: 10.3390/jof10020153.

Medicinal Mushrooms as Multicomponent Mixtures-Demonstrated with the Example of Lentinula edodes

Ulrike Lindequist  1
Affiliations
Review

Medicinal Mushrooms as Multicomponent Mixtures-Demonstrated with the Example of Lentinula edodes

Ulrike Lindequist. J Fungi (Basel). .

Abstract

Medicinal mushrooms are multicomponent mixtures (MOCSs). They consist of a large number of individual compounds, each with different chemical structures, functions, and possible pharmacological activities. In contrast to the activity of an isolated pure substance, the effects of the individual substances in a mushroom or its extracts can influence each other; they can strengthen, weaken, or complement each other. This results in both advantages and disadvantages for the use of either a pure substance or a multicomponent mixture. The review describes the differences and challenges in the preparation, characterization, and application of complex mixtures compared to pure substances, both obtained from the same species. As an example, we use the medicinal and culinary mushroom Lentinula edodes, shiitake, and some of its isolated compounds, mainly lentinan and eritadenine.

Keywords: Lentinula edodes; eritadenine; lentinan; medicinal mushrooms; multicomponent mixtures; shiitake.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lentinula edodes (photo: Prof. Jan Lelley, with permission).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Partial structure of lentinan. n: the glucose unit in brackets is present n times in the 1,3-chain; m: the glucose unit in brackets is present m times in the 1,6-side chain.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Structure of eritadenine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.