Medicinal mushrooms: clinical use

Mushrooms, renowned for their culinary and nutritional value, are now gaining recognition for their medicinal properties. They are utilized not only as dietary food but also in the form of supplements, nutraceuticals, and mycotherapy products. Medicinal mushrooms (MMs) exhibit a plethora of pharmacological actions, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antiallergic, antihyperlipidemic, and prebiotic properties, among others. Fungal compounds with bioactivity, particularly polysaccharides, play a crucial role in these medicinal properties, exerting antitumor, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic effects.
Moreover, mushrooms are rich in proteins with cytotoxic and anticancer properties. They have been utilized traditionally for maintaining well-being and treating various diseases, especially in Asian regions. In recent times, they have gained prominence in dietary supplements and complementary alternative medicine (CAM) and complementary integrated medicine (CIM), particularly in the field of oncology. However, the field remains complex, with much research limited to in vitro or animal models. The lack of human studies and standardization in doses, preparations, and claims among mushroom supplements pose challenges for conducting clinical trials and interpreting results. Without standardization, the validity and repeatability of results are compromised, hindering their integration into medical practice.