MEDICINAL AND THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF THE SHIITAKE MUSHROOM

This chapter describes medicinal and therapeutic value of the shiitake mushroom. The shiitake mushroom is the second most popular edible mushroom in the global market. To explore and possibly exploit the shiitake myth, many scientists have attempted to document its traditional therapeutic value. The shiitake mushroom contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Hypolipidemic and anti-thrombotic substances have been identified; the nucleic acids induce interferon production. Reputed antitumor components vary in chemical nature, but the most important may prove to be a polysaccharide that acts as a host defense potentiator. The ability of the shiitake to lower blood cholesterol was first reported by Kaneda and Tokuda (1966), who found that a diet supplemented with the dried ground sporophores of L. edodes lowered average plasma cholesterol when fed to rats. As shiitake mushrooms are a rich source of dietary fiber, scientists fed rats a standard control diet and one containing cholesterol, along with whole shiitake or neutral detergent fiber (NDF) extract. The eritadenine-free NDF had a cholesterol-lowering effect distinct from that of eritadenine, which was attributed to its ability to bind to cholic acid salts. © 1993, Academic Press, Inc.