A Status Review of the Bioactive Activities of Tiger Milk Mushroom Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden

Edible and medicinal mushrooms are regularly used in natural medicines and home remedies since antiquity for ailments like fever, inflammation, and respiratory disorders. Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden is a polypore found in Malaysia and other regions in South East Asia. It can be located on a spot where a tigress drips milk while feeding, hence the name “tiger's milk mushroom.” The sclerotium of L. rhinocerotis is highly sought after by the native communities in Malaysia to stave off hunger, relieve cough and asthma, and provide stamina. The genomic features of L. rhinocerotis have been described. The pharmacological and toxicity effects, if any, of L. rhinocerotis sclerotium have been scientifically verified in recent years. In this review, the validated investigations including the cognitive function, neuroprotection, immune modulation, anti-asthmatic, anti-coagulation, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial/ anti-viral, anti-obesity, anti-cancer/ anti-tumor, and antioxidant properties are highlighted. These findings suggest that L. rhinocerotis can be considered as an alternative and natural medicine in the management of non-communicable diseases. However, there is a paucity of validation studies including human clinical trials of the mycochemicals of L. rhinocerotis

Anticancer and antimicrobial potential of zinc/sodium alginate/polyethylene glycol/d-pinitol nanocomposites against osteosarcoma MG-63 cells

The field of nanomedicine has attracted much interest and is now serving as the impetus for many revolutionary advances in the pharmaceutical industry

Surface Decoration of Selenium Nanoparticles by Proteins from the Culinary-Medicinal Shiitake Mushroom, Lentinus edodes (Agaricomycetes), for Enhanced Fibrinolytic Activity

Lentinus edodes (shiitake mushroom) has exhibited fibrinolytic activity. We synthesized and characterized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using protein precipitated from the mushroom. We also investigated the fibrinolytic activity of the SeNPs. The proteins from a crude extract of L. edodes were recovered through the use of aqueous 2-phase separation, and these we used as the capping agent in SeNP biosynthesis. We characterized the SeNPs using UV-visible spectrophotometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size distribution analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The fibrinolytic capability of the SeNPs was tested through an in vitro fibrin plate assay. The UV-visible spectra showed maximal absorbance at 220 nm. FESEM images showed that the SeNPs were dispersed and did not clump. The TEM images revealed a spherical shape and average size of the SeNPs. The particle size distribution analysis confirmed the mean size of the SeNPs at 64.53 nm. A strong signal for the presence of selenium was observed in the EDX analysis. The FT-IR spectrum revealed the involvement of protein functional groups in the reduction of sel-enite. Overall, the SeNPs capped with protein from shiitake mushroom were effective as an in vitro fibrinolytic agent

Do Culinary Mushrooms Have Fibrinolytic Activities?

Recently, many culinary mushrooms have become attractive sources of biologically but non-pharmacological activities including immune modulating activities. In this study, the fibrinolytic activities of freeze-dried basidiocarps of ten edible mushrooms were determined using a qualitative fibrin plate assay and a quantitative enzyme assay using spectrophotometric method. Further, the crude extracts of all the ten mushrooms were subjected to an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) to recover the fibrinolytic enzymes. The crude extracts and ATPS extracts of Lentinula edodes showed the highest fibrinolytic activity of 48.06 U/mg and 54.28 U/mg, respectively assessed via the Folin-spectrophotometric method. The recovery of fibrinolytic enzymes from L. edodes was the highest and the fibrinolytic enzymes were further analysed through gel electrophoresis study. A 50 kDa sized fibrinolytic enzyme from L. edodes was revealed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Biomed Rev 2017; 28:91-99.Keywords: edible mushroom, fibrinolytic enzyme, Lentinula edodes, aqueous two-phase syste