Wild mushroom diversity in eco-regions of Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Proximate compositions and bioactive compounds of edible wild and cultivated mushrooms from Northeast Thailand

Ethnomycological knowledge is a combination of biological resources, cultural and human patterns, in particular collective traditional uses and the importance of fungi in daily life. Despite the large number of ethnic groups in Sabah, the native ethnomycological knowledge of wild edible mushrooms and poisonous mushrooms are poorly documented. This study attempted to document wild edible mushrooms and their ethnomycological uses and practices in the tropical rainforest of Sabah, Borneo. Opportunistic samplings and ethnomycological surveys were made within the indigenous communities of Sabah. Collectively, 50 respondents from four different ethnic communities i.e. Dusun, Kadazan, Orang Sungai, and Bisaya were interviewed. A total of 25 wild mushroom species were documented as edible mushroom for food, and five species for medicinal uses. The highest number of wild edible mushroom collected and reported were of the Pleurotaceae family (five species), followed by Polyporaceae family (three species) and Auriculariaceae family (three species). The results also showed that Schizophyllum commune (Kulat Kodop), Volvariella volvacea (Kulat Sawit), Pleurotus spp., (Cendawan Tiram) Auricularia spp., (Kulat Korong) and Marasmiellus species were mostly consumed by the indigenous people of Sabah as part of their daily diet. Local names, culinary, and the edibility types were distinct among the different local communities. Elderly indigenous people possess vast knowledge on uses of wild mushrooms compared to the younger generation. Women play an important role in wild mushroom collection and its edibility, uses and practices. The findings from this study showed that ethnomycological knowledge of wild mushroom in Sabah is still lacking and more attention is needed. A study on the ethnomycological aspect in Borneo is a necessity in creating awareness among the public on edible and poisonous mushrooms, and its culinary and medicinal properties.

Background: Ethnomycology is the study of the cultural significance, history and use of mushrooms in human life. Aim: This study explores the traditional knowledge and taxonomic documentation of mushrooms in Bengaluru, representing the first ethno-mycological investigation in the area. Method: This region’s mushroom diversity has been previously studied, the cultural practices surrounding their use have not yet been examined. The mushrooms were identified based on the morphological characters of fruiting bodies. Results: Through extensive field surveys, 120 fungal samples were collected and 22 species were identified along with vernacular names, including Agrocybe pediades (Fr.) Fayod, Candolleomyce scandolleanus (Fr.) D. Wacht.and A. Melzer, C. tianshanensis sp. nov., Chlorophyllum rhacodes (Vittad.) Vellinga, Lycoperdon lahorense Yousaf and Khalid, sp. nov., Mycena olida var. americana. Oudemansiella radicata (Relhan) Singer, Panaeolus cyanensis (Berk. and Broome) Sacc, Phallus duplicates Bosc, Pisolithus tinctorius (Mont.) E. Fischer, Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Singer, Pycnoporous coccinius (Fr) Bondartsev and Singer, Schizophyllum commune Fr., Termitomyces umkowan (Cooke and Massee) D.A. Reid. Despite this diversity, local communities consume T. umkowaan, Rusulla delica, and P. sajor-caju. While A. pediades, C. tianshanensis, and P. tinctorius are non-edible or poisonous, so not consumed by the local tribes of Bengaluru. The most dominant family is Psathyrellaceae with 15.1% (8 species). Conclusions: These wild edible mushrooms also demonstrated significant bioactive properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer potential. This research highlights both the rich fungal biodiversity of Bengaluru and the untapped medicinal value of mushrooms, offering insights into the relationship between scientific discovery and local ethnomycological traditions. Major Findings: Local communities in and around Bengaluru not consumed wild mushrooms are A. pediades, C. tianshanensis, and P. tinctorius. Frequently observed family is Psathyrellaceae with 15.1% when compared to all other families in rural Bengaluru.

Wild edible mushrooms have received significant scientific and socio-economic attention in the last few decades, since they have become the subject of a booming trade business. Through last decades, Serbia, a small country positioned in the South East of Europe, has become a source country for extensive export of commercially important species of wild mushrooms. The data used for international analyses of national policy on mushroom protection and trade are cited usually from personal communications and therefore are not really reliable. Extensive investigations into diversity or ecology of macro fungi in Serbia have never been undertaken. The forestry sector, which is managing all forests in the country, has absolutely neglected its role in ecosystems while habitats of macro fungi have been permanently destroyed. There are only two legal acts that refer to mushroom protection directly and none aims to protect their habitats or diversity in practice. In this contribution, a comprehensive review of official data on research, conservation, socio-economic importance and legislation on wild edible mushrooms and truffles in Serbia was provided. Additionally, the application of existing legal acts on conservation of macro fungi and data on wild mushroom trade in the period between 1993–2016, during which time the trade control has been initiated was analysed. The currently valid system of conservation and trade control are discussed in the frame of protection of wild mushroom species and their habitats and measures for upgrading this system in order to meet the requirements of the sustainable use of natural resources in the socio-economic conditions of Serbia are proposed.

BackgroundMenge District has long been inhabited by people who have a long tradition of using wild mushrooms mainly as food, source of income, and medicine. Extensive utilization of wild edible mushrooms (WEM) coupled with an ever-increasing population growth, deforestation, and agricultural land expansion threatens fungal diversity and WEM in the area. Hence, this study is aimed at documenting and analyzing the ethnomycological knowledge of the people in order to preserve the dwindling WEM wealth and associated indigenous knowledge.MethodsEthnomycological data were collected using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and walk-in-the-woods methods. Statistical tests were used to compare the indigenous knowledge and practice of wild mushroom among different informant categories using One-way ANOVA and t tests.ResultsA total of 20 ethnomycologically important wild mushroom species belonging to ten genera and six families were identified, of which 15 were reported to be edible in the District. The family Lyophyllaceae was represented by the highest number of species (nine species, 45%) followed by Agaricaceae (seven species, 35%) and each of the remaining four families had single species representation. Significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed on the mean number of WEM reported among different group of respondents. Wild edible mushroom collection habit and practice was significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by gender, age, and literacy level. The output of preference ranking exercise indicated Termitomyces schimperi was ranked first followed by Termitomyces letestui, Termitomyces microcarpus, and Termitomyces eurhizusas as the most preferred edible mushrooms respectively.ConclusionThe present study shows that Menge District is rich in wild mushroom diversity and associated indigenous knowledge. However, anthropogenic factors together with loss of indigenous knowledge and very poor conservation efforts threaten the survival of economically and ecologically important mushrooms in the area. Thus, complementary in situ and ex situ mushroom conservation strategy is highly recommended.

Wild edible mushrooms are more popular non timber forest products (NTFPs) which are highly valued as functional food for their medicinal and nutritional benefits. Several wild mushroom species have been pointed out as sources of bioactive compounds, in addition to their important nutritional value. They are the major source of income for the indigenous communities throughout the world. In Bonai Forest Division, Sundargarh, Odisha, survey was conducted during 2021 to 2022 with informants using semistructured interviews and gathered the information about the wild edible mushrooms available in their forest with their marketability. It was observed that the mushrooms play as an excellent source of livelihood for local communities in Bonai Forest Division and these mushrooms are sold in the local markets starting from 10- 20 rupees to 400 rupees. Therefore, the wild edible mushrooms which are available in the state need more exploration. It could be a valuable nutraceutical, making them essential in combating food insecurity. Additional research is needed so that the wild edible mushrooms can be commercialized which can play a key role in the socio-economic upliftment of the tribal people and will add organic food to the urban food basket.

Purpose: The interest in evaluation of real knowledge of wild edible mushrooms at individual and population level increases mainly in developing countries. The purpose of our inquiry study was to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of the wild mushrooms in a random sample from the population of Varna region in Bulgaria. Material/Methods: We performed an anonymous questionnaire investigation of 200 adult individuals, 100 males and 100 females, from Varna region, including 17 potential opinions from their personal knowledge of wild edible mushroom usage. Statistical data processing was performed using descriptive methods, variation and correlation analyses. Results: Most respondents acquired their knowledge of wild edible mushrooms from their relatives. From all 200 persons investigated 78 respondents were not capable of recognizing at least one wild edible mushroom at all. More respondents trusted other people, who have very good experience with preparation of wild mushrooms, thus relying on differentiation of a mushroom poison. Their awareness was associated with their capacity to properly recognize wild mushrooms as well as their long-term practice to recognize toxic mushrooms. Just a minority of respondents shared that wild mushrooms in their vicinity could be a problem and had a slight idea of mycotherapy. Only two females had heard about training for wild mushroom recognition. There were statistically significant correlation dependences between respondent’s awareness of wild edible mushrooms, on one hand, and individual sex status, educational level and main residence, on the other hand. Conclusion: Our study identified two most recognized wild edible mushroom species in Varna region, edible boletus (Boletus edulis Bull) and parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera S. F. Gray). Most respondents acquired their knowledge of wild edible mushrooms from relatives. A problem-oriented training of the population on this topic should be performed to improve awareness of common mushroom features and avoid mushroom poisoning.

The diversity of wild mushrooms was investigated from two protected forest areas in India and 231 mushroom specimens were morphologically identified. Among them, 76 isolates were screened for their antimicrobial potential against seven bacterial and fungal pathogens. Out of 76 isolates, 45 isolates which displayed significant antimicrobial activities were identified using ITS rRNA gene amplification and subsequently phylogenetically characterized using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Sequencing of the ITS rRNA region classified the isolates into 16 genera belonging to 11 families. In total, 11 RAPD and 10 ISSR primers were selected to evaluate genetic diversity based on their banding profile produced. In total 337 RAPD and 312 ISSR bands were detected, among which percentage of polymorphism ranges from 34.2% to 78.8% and 38.6% to 92.4% by using RAPD and ISSR primers respectively. Unweighted Pair-Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) trees of selected two methods were structured similarly, grouping the 46 isolates into two clusters which clearly showed a significant genetic distance among the different strains of wild mushroom, with an similarity coefficient ranges from 0.58 to 1.00 and 0.59 to 1.00 with RAPD and ISSR analysis respectively. This reporthas highlighted both DTR and MNP forests provide a habitat for diverse macrofungal species, therefore having the potential to be used for the discovery of antimicrobials. The report has also demonstrated that both RAPD and ISSR could efficiently differentiate wild mushrooms and could thus be considered as efficient markers for surveying genetic diversity. Additionally, selected six wild edible mushroom strains (Schizophyllum commune BPSM01, Panusgiganteus BPSM27, Pleurotussp. BPSM34, Lentinussp. BPSM37, Pleurotusdjamor BPSM41 and Lentinula sp. BPSM45) were analysed for their nutritional (proteins, carbohydrates, fat and ash content), antioxidant potential. The present findings also suggested that the wild edible mushroom strains do not have only nutritional values but also can be used as an accessible source of natural antioxidants.

Wild edible mushrooms are a valuable dietary food to many tribal people around the world. Wild medicinal mushrooms are therapeutically important sources of bioactive compounds. Tribal groups in Kerala ('Adivasis' of Kerala) are indigenous, ethnic populations that live in the forests and mountains of the Western Ghats, bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Cholanaikkans, Kurumbas, Kattunaikkans, Kadars, and Koragas are the five primitive tribal groups in Kerala, constituting nearly 5% of the total tribal population in the state. Knowledge on the edibility of mushrooms is mainly based on folk taxonomy and traditional knowledge of indigenous people. Tribal people use some wild mushrooms as sources of food and medicine for various ailments in their communities. Auricularia auriculata, Agaricus bisporus, Boletus edulis, Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinus edodes, and L. squarrosulus are therapeutically important medicinal mushroom species used by the tribal people of Kerala. This article discusses the wild edible and medicinal mushrooms used by different tribal communities in Kerala.

Wild edible mushrooms are rich in nutritions and popular among people, but wild edible mushrooms easily accumulate potentially harmful trace elements, and excessive intake will harm health. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential health hazards of long-term intake of wild edible mushrooms in Yunnan Province, China. The concentrations of trace element (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Zn) in 19 species of wild edible mushrooms in Yunnan Province were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Further processing of the data, the potential health risk assessments of consumers were evaluated by the target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), respectively. Results showed that concentrations of trace element in wild edible mushrooms decreased in the order of Zn > Cu > As > Ni > Cr > Cd > Pb > Hg. Compared with the maximum standard by the WHO/China, the averages of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Zn were significantly greater than the standard. Among the tested wild edible mushrooms, HI values of Leccinum crocipodium, Thelephora ganbajun, Lactarius luteolus, Tricholoma matsutake, and Polyporus ellisii were more than 1. Thus, Leccinum crocipodium, Thelephora ganbajun, Lactarius luteolus, Tricholoma matsutake, and Polyporus ellisii are the main sources of risk. The value of THQ in ascending order was as follows: Pb (0.11) < Cd (0.75) < As (4.27) < Hg (6.87). Thus, Hg are the primary sources of health risk in the wild edible mushrooms in Yunnan Province. ILCR(As) values of Thelephora ganbajun, Tricholoma matsutake, Laccaria amethystea, and Polyporus ellisii were more than 10-4, these four samples are the primary sources of health risk. The mean values of ILCR for As in wild mushroom were 1.01 × 10-4. The results suggest that there was potential health risk to the consumer associated with the long-term consumption of wild edible mushrooms collected from Yunnan Province. We propose that the concentrations of trace element should be periodically monitored in wild edible mushrooms.

Aggregated transfer factor of 137Cs in wild edible mushrooms collected in 2016–2020 for long-term internal dose assessment use

Resume de l'editeur : Wild Plants, Mushrooms and Nuts: Functional Properties and Food Applications is a compendium of current and novel research on the chemistry, biochemistry, nutritional and pharmaceutical value of traditional food products, namely wild mushrooms, plants and nuts, which are becoming more relevant in diets, and are especially useful for developing novel health foods and in modern natural food therapies. Topics covered will range from their nutritional value, chemical and biochemical characterization, to their multifunctional applications as food with beneficial effects on health, though their biological and pharmacological properties (antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor capacity, among others).

BackgroundFor centuries, wild mushrooms have been a forest resource of significant cultural value in several ethnic groups worldwide. In Mexico, extensive traditional knowledge on the use of fungal resources has been developed and deeply rooted. Mexico is the second country in the world in which the most species of wild mushroom are consumed, and it is considered a pioneer in ethnomycology. Nonetheless, there are still many indigenous groups in this country that have not been studied from an ethnomycological approach. The present study aimed to record the traditional knowledge on wild mushrooms in three indigenous groups of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, and assess the variation in this knowledge within and across the studied groups.MethodsThe data were recorded from April to October 2022 within three communities belonging to the indigenous groups Chatino, Chontal, and Chinanteco. Through 84 interviews, information related to their knowledge of wild mushrooms was obtained. The cultural significance index of wild edible mushrooms was calculated for each community. Regression analyses, analysis of variance and covariance, t test, and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis were performed to assess the distribution of traditional knowledge in the communities.ResultsA total of 32 culturally important mushroom species were recorded for the three indigenous groups (30 edible, 2 medicinal); 23 used by Chatinos, 16 by Chontales, and 6 by Chinantecos. Only Chatinos and Chinantecos use wild mushrooms in medicine. The cultural significance of wild edible mushrooms differed among groups. Traditional knowledge about wild mushrooms declines when the level of schooling increases and age decreases, especially in the Chatino group. This knowledge distributes more homogeneously in the Chontal and Chinanteco groups. Their age determines the difference in knowledge between men and women.ConclusionDocumenting how traditional knowledge differs among ethnic groups is relevant for preserving cultural and biological diversity. Factors such as level of schooling and age can affect traditional knowledge of wild mushrooms, but the effects of these factors vary within and across communities. Conducting studies encompassing a broader range of variables is of interest for a better understanding of the human–mushroom relationship.

Interactions between birds and mites have allowed mites to act as ectoparasites or to be associated with the micro-environments of nests. The aim of this study was to identify the mite fauna associated with wild bird nests in the rural and urban zones of different environments, and analyze the importance of birds as potential carriers of these organisms to households or poultry houses. In the rural zone, the following environments were assessed: Countryside (C), Forest (F), Aquatic (A), Orchards (O), and Residential (R), and in the urban zone, a similar division was used (C, O, R), with absence of environments (A) and (F). Apart from the Suborder Oribatida found in the 52 bird nests sampled in both zones, a total of 24,274 mites were collected and identified as 67 species in 34 families. There was a predominance of mites in the rural zone (90%), with higher richness in (C) of both zones and higher abundance in (R) and (A) of the rural zone and (O) of the urban zone. Mite species of medical-veterinary importance with the highest abundance were Ornithonyssus bursa in nests of Certhiaxis cinnamomeus and Columbina picui; Tyrophagus putrescentiae in nests of Columbina picui and Pitangus sulphuratus; and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in nests of Troglodytes musculus and Pitangus sulphuratus. This study showed that the wild bird nests are depositories of mites, including ectoparasites of medical-veterinary importance.

Wild edible mushrooms diversity utilized by the community in Gunung Tukung Gede (GTG) nature reserves were observed and documented. The exploration was carried out during September 2018 – June 2019 to collect wild mushrooms and gather information on utilizing wild edible mushrooms by interviewing the indigenous community. About 75 local people who live in Sukatani, Pasilaja, and Cimacan village in GTG nature reserves participated and gave information on utilizing wild mushrooms. The reported edible mushrooms were: Auricularia polytricha, Coprinus sp., Termitomyces albuminosus, T. eurhizus, Boletus edulis, Cantharellus cibarius, Marasmiellus sp., Mycea sp., Pleurotus sp., Volvariella volvacea, Lentinus sajor-caju, Psathyrella sp., Oudemansiella sp., Schizophyllum commune, and Scleroderma sinnamariense. The outcome will contribute information to preserve biodiversity and ecosystems in GTG nature reserves and potential edible mushroom to be used for improving food security. Bangladesh J. Bot. 51(3): 625-629, 2022 (September)