Table 1.
List of important medicinal mushrooms and their pharmacological benefits.
| Medicinal Mushroom | Active Immunomodulators | Health Benefits | Gut Microbiota Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grifola frondosa | MD-fraction Grifolan | The Agaricus blazei-based mushroom extract, andosan, protects against intestinal tumorigenesis in A/J Min/+ mice [62]. | Andosan may also have influenced the composition and activity of microbiota in the A/J Min/+ mice. |
| Pleurotus tuberregium | Polysaccharides | Pleurotus tuberregium possesses antihyperglycemic properties and attenuated oxidative stress in diabetic rats on a high-fat diet [63]. | There are possible roles of gut microbiota in the polysaccharide-induced attenuation of obesity and hyperglycemia. |
| Ganoderma lucidum | GLP(AI), Ganopoly, Ganoderans | Ganoderma lucidum reduces obesity in mice by modulating the composition of the gut microbiota [64]. | GL has decreased Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratios. Reduced endotoxin-bearing Proteobacteria levels. It also maintains intestinal barrier integrity and reduces metabolic endotoxemia. |
| Polyporus umbellatus | Polysaccharides | Integrative fungal solutions for protecting bees [65]. | Increases the intestinal microbiome to regulate host health. |
| Phellinus linteus | Polysaccharides | Anti-diabetic potential [66]. | Phellinus linteus induces changes in the composition and activity of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota that confer nutritional and health benefits to the host. |
| Trametes versicolor | Krestin (PSK), PSP | Prevents host from diarrhea, Clostridium difficile infection, and inflammatory bowel disease [32]. | Polysaccharopeptide from Trametes versicolor regulates the gut microbiota to maintain the host health. |
| Hericum erinaceus | Galactoxyloglucan–protein complex | Hericum erinaceus possesses anti-cancer, immuno-modulating, hypolipidemic, antioxidant and neuro-protective activities [67]. | Hericum erinaceus renders changes in the composition and activity of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota that confer nutritional and health benefits to the host. |
| Agaricus bisporus | Polysaccharides | Anti-bacterial property [53]. | White button mushrooms increase microbial diversity and accelerate the resolution of citrobacter rodentium infection in mice. |
| Fomitopsis officinalis | Polysaccharides | Fomitopsis officinalis acts as an insulin sensitizer in glucose tolerance tests and regulates hyperglycemia in mice with non-insulin-dependent diabetes [68]. | Exact action on gut microbiota is yet to be discovered. |
| Lentinula edodes | Lentinan, KS-2 | Lentinula edodes-derived polysaccharide rejuvenates mice in terms of immune responses and gut microbiota [69]. | L2 reverses the gut microbiota structure, such as the reduced ratio Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, the increased Bacteroidia, the decreased Bacilli and Betaproteobacteria, the increased Bacteroidaceae, the decreased Lactobacillaceae, and Alcaligenaceae. |
| Fomes fomentarius | Polysaccharides | Fomes fomentarius is used to cure various ailments such as dysmenorrhoea, hemorrhoids, bladder disorders, pyretic diseases, treatment of coughs, cancer, and rheumatism [70]. | The exact role in regulating gut microbiota is not yet elucidated well. |
| Schizophyllum commune | Schizophyllan, Sonifilan, SPG | Used as an immune modulator [71]. | The exact role in regulating gut microbiota is not yet elucidated well. |