New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering

Recent Advances in Application of Fungi and Fungal Metabolites: Applications in Healthcare

Joginder Singh Panwar, Praveen Gehlot, Joginder Singh

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780128210062
• eBook ISBN: 9780128225554
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Recent Advances in Application of Fungi and Fungal Metabolites: Applications in Healthcare presents an account of recent development and applied aspects of fungi and its metabolites in the healthcare sector. Chapters are written by eminent researchers, emphasizing the incredible role of fungi and its metabolites in the field of medicine. This book offers reference material to all mycologists working on the exploration and usage of medicinal aspects of fungi and fungal metabolites.- Introduces the aspects and advances of fungi and fungal metabolites in healthcare- Includes a description of traditional uses and modern practices on how to harness the potential of fungi and its metabolites in healthcare applications- Provides details surrounding the use of fungi and its metabolites in medical purposes- Describes potential manifold prospects of fungi and fungal metabolites

Chapter 1: Prospective of macrofungal metabolites in human health

S.K. Singh*; K.S. Jadon; Rakesh Pathak ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, India
^* Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Mushrooms are an incredible factory for enzymes and biologically active polysaccharides and their complexes with proteins. The potential roles and mechanisms of medicinal mushrooms such as immunomodulators, antioxidants, antimicrobials, hepatoprotective, antiinflammatories, antiallergens, antidiabetics, antitumor, and in lowering blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis have been reviewed. The importance of metallic nanoparticles of silver, gold, and selenium synthesized by edible mushrooms that are effective against certain cancer cell lines that have been used in pharmaceutical drugs to transform and modulate immunity during cancer progression and treatment is discussed.

Keywords

Metabolites; Functional food; Immunomodulators; Medicinal applications

1.1: Introduction

Camassola (2013) defined mushrooms as an incredible factory for the production of enzymes and metabolites. The mushroom is a functional food not only because of the human use of its extracts and compounds to fulfill nutritional requirements (low fat, high protein, and dietary fiber while also containing potassium, copper, and vitamins) but also for its biologically active metabolites with antitumor, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic effects (Cho et al., 2007; Reis et al., 2017; Cheung, 2010). The polysaccharides contained in the fruit bodies and mycelia of mushrooms possess incredible antitumor and immunostimulating properties (Wasser, 2010). Mushrooms possess biologically active compounds such as immunomodulators, antioxidants, and antimicrobials while also lowering glucose and lipidic levels and offering antitumor activities (Novaes et al., 2011; Petrova, 2012). The medicinal mushrooms are synonymous with immunoceuticals as they contain antitumor, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, cardiovascular, detoxification, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulating effects (Chang and Miles, 2004; Wasser, 2010). About 50 mushroom species possess prospective immunomodulatory and antitumor compounds such as lentinan, lectins, polysaccharides, and schizophyllan as well as bioactive compounds of Maitake for the treatment of human cancers.

1.2: Medicinal mushrooms

The major medicinal mushrooms are Agaricus blazei, Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus brasiliensis, Coriolus versicolor, Flammulina velutipes, Ganoderma tsugae, Ganoderma neo-japonicum, Ganoderma lucidum, Grifola frondosa, Lentinus edodes, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Pleurotus tuberregium, Pleurotus rhinoceros, Schizophyllum commune, Sparassis crispa, Trametes robiniophila, and Trametes versicolor (Wasser, 2002, 2010; Endo et al., 2010; Ayeka, 2018).

1.3: Mushroom metabolites

The potential role of the natural compounds of mushrooms with antitumor potential aimed at malignant tissues to modulate immunity in the treatment of human disease has been reviewed (Blagodatski et al., 2018; Borchers et al., 2008). The potential role of mushroom glucans in treating cancer patients was documented by Kidd (2000). β-glucans produced by several mushrooms are of vital importance in treating human diseases and a range of cancers such as leukemia, liver, lung, ovarian, urinary bladder, prostate, skin, breast, and stomach (Pelley and Strickland, 2000; Chen and Robert, 2007; Chen et al., 2014; Baldassano et al., 2017). Many other complexes of polysaccharides with proteins, agaritine, ergosterol, polyphenols, selenium, and terpenoids are capable of modulating the immune system by promoting apoptosis, suppressing the progression of tumor cells, and reducing the formation of new blood vessels (Gao and Zhou, 2002; Sarangi et al., 2006; Ayeka, 2018).

1.4: Mechanism of action

Mushroom compounds utilize a variety of mechanisms to transform and modulate immunity during cancer progression and treatment. For example, Coriolus versicolor works by the secretion of various types of interleukins and tumor necrosis factors (Wasser and Weis 1999); Schizophyllum commune by the synthesis of Schizophyllan with direct toxicity to tumor cells (Borchers et al., 1999); Trametes robiniophila by apoptosis, antimetastasis, and activation of the immune system (Li and Wang, 2006); Agaricus blazei by inducing the production of TNF-alpha, IL-8, and nitrous oxide (Sorimachi et al., 2001; Takaku et al., 2001; Niu et al., 2009; Endo et al., 2010), Ganoderma colossum with anti-HIV properties (El Dine et al., 2008); Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma tsugae extracts through cytotoxicity (Min et al., 2000; Hsu et al., 2008); Agaricus bisporus by stimulating TNF-α production (Endo et al., 2010); Pleurotus tuber-regium scloratia by stimulating the proliferation of NK cells, macrophages, and T cells (Zhang et al., 2004; Wong et al., 2011); and Agaricus brasiliensis by inducing cell death in mouth cancer cells defined by a monoclonal antibody (Fan et al., 2011).

1.5: Medicinal applications

The biologically active substances of mushrooms activate the immune response and inhibit tumor progression. The properties and medical applications of the biosynthesized nanoparticles of fungi and yeast have been reviewed (Moghaddam et al., 2015). The metallic nanoparticles (meta-NPs) of silver, gold, and selenium synthesized by edible mushrooms are effective against certain cancer cell lines. They have been used in pharmaceutical drugs and are an emerging field in the drug industry (Owaid and Ibraheem, 2017).

A number of researchers have reported the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with antimicrobial properties using Tricholoma crassum (Ray et al., 2011), Agaricus bisporus (Lillian et al., 2008; Mirunalini et al., 2012; Dhanasekaran et al., 2013; Sudhakar et al., 2014), Pleurotus ostreat...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Chapter 1: Prospective of macrofungal metabolites in human health
• Chapter 2: Toxins from Fusarium species and their role in animal and plant diseases
• Chapter 3: Keratinophilic fungi: Isolation, identification, pathogenicity, characterization, and treatment
• Chapter 4: Endophytic fungi: A new hope for drug discovery
• Chapter 5: Therapeutic potency of bioactive compounds from fungal endophytes
• Chapter 6: Role of fungi in neurodegenerative diseases
• Chapter 7: Fungal secondary metabolites: A potential source of anticancer compounds
• Chapter 8: A promising source of anticancer drug from fungal secondary metabolite
• Chapter 9: Neoteric research trends in marine fungi as promising and alternate sources of anticancer phytochemicals
• Chapter 10: Fungal enzyme inhibitors: Repository of novel cancer therapeutics
• Chapter 11: Biotechnological approaches for the enhancement of anticancer secondary metabolite production from endophytic fungi
• Chapter 12: Fungal metabolites—A potential source of antiviral compounds
• Chapter 13: Chitin: Promising biopolymer for biomedical application
• Chapter 14: Antipathogenic activity of fungal secondary metabolites with special reference to human pathogenic bacteria
• Chapter 15: Hypoglycemic potential of mushroom and their metabolites
• Chapter 16: Biomedical applications of 4-hydroxycoumarin as a fungal metabolite and its derivatives
• Chapter 17: Recombinant Pichia pastoris and its applications in healthcare industry
• Index