Abstract
Medicinal use of mushrooms has been documented since ancient times, and in the modern world, mushrooms have a longstanding history of use in Eastern medicine. Recent interest in plant-based diets in Westernized countries has brought increasing attention to the use of mushrooms and mushroom-derived compounds in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Edible mushrooms are the most abundant food sources of the modified amino acid, ergothioneine. This compound has been shown to accumulate in almost all cells and tissues, but preferentially in those exposed to oxidative stress and injury. The demonstrated cytoprotectant effect of ergothioneine has led many to suggest a potential therapeutic role for this compound in chronic conditions that involve ongoing oxidative stress and inflammation, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, the in vivo effects of ergothioneine and its underlying therapeutic mechanisms in the whole organism are not as clear. Moreover, there are no well-defined, clinical prevention and intervention trials of ergothioneine in chronic disease. This review highlights the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of ergothioneine and its potential as a Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the promotion of cardiometabolic health and the management of the most common manifestations of cardiometabolic disease.
Highlights
Over the last decade, the naturally occurring modified amino acid, L-ergothioneine (EGT), has gained much attention as a potential therapeutic compound [1,2,3,4]
Fewer studies exist that elucidate the potential anti-inflammatory effects of EGT in vivo. This evidence suggests that raising tissue levels of EGT may be beneficial in conditions involving chronic oxidative stress and inflammation. These conditions are characteristic of cardiometabolic disease that encompasses any or all of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [39]
Several studies have suggested that EGT-containing mixtures and EGT may affect the initial stages of atherosclerosis by mitigating low-density lipoproteins (LDL) oxidation, monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells (EC), and processes that contribute to foam cell formation
Summary
The naturally occurring modified amino acid, L-ergothioneine (EGT), has gained much attention as a potential therapeutic compound [1,2,3,4]. EGT is widely distributed within tissues of both plants and animals, it is exclusively synthesized in non-yeast fungi, actinomycete bacteria, lactobacillus bacteria, and some cyanobacteria [6,7,8,9]. Many reports have demonstrated a cytoprotectant effect of EGT in vitro and have suggested a potential therapeutic role for this compound in various conditions including cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, UV damage, neuronal injury, eye disorders, kidney diseases, cancer and cellular aging [1,2,3,4]. We review the potential beneficial properties of EGT and its possible utility as a Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) in the management of the most common manifestations of cardiometabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
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