Edible mushrooms have long been recognized for their nutritional value. In the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study, a prebirth cohort study, we examined the association between maternal mushroom intake during pregnancy and risk of childhood behavioral problems in Japanese 5-year-olds. A total of 1199 mother-child pairs were included as study subjects. In the baseline survey, dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. In the follow-up survey, emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior were assessed using the parent-reported version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjustments were made for a priori-selected non-dietary confounders and potentially related dietary factors. A significant inverse exposure-response association was observed between maternal mushroom consumption during pregnancy and risk of childhood peer problems (adjusted odds ratio [OR] between extreme quartiles, 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.31-1.07, p for trend = 0.02) and low prosocial behavior (adjusted OR between extreme quartiles, 0.64; 95% CI: 0.43-0.95, p for trend = 0.02). Higher maternal intake levels of mushrooms during pregnancy may be associated with a decreased risk of peer problems and a decreased risk of low prosocial behavior in 5-year-old children.

Beneficial and potentially harmful compounds in edible mushrooms cultivated on substrates supplemented with algal wracks from Mar Menor lagoon seashore

Geographical divergence in quality of Lyophyllum decastes (Fr.) Singer from three major production regions in China: A comprehensive perspective on nutrition, bioactivity, and flavor profiles.

Research progress on the structure of edible fungi polysaccharides and their anti-obesity mechanisms via the regulation of intestinal microbiota and metabolites

In this study, we analyzed bioactive compounds from six edible wild mushrooms: Amanita caesarea, Amanita vaginata, Amanita rubescens, Clitocybe gibba, Laccaria laccata, and Ramaria apiculata. The fruiting bodies were used to extract the compounds using methanol. Qualitative screening revealed that anthraquinones are predominantly found in R. apiculata. The highest amounts of flavonoids and total phenols, were found in A. caesarea, (17.4 mg GAE/g and 205.0 mg GAE/g, respectively). When quantifying antioxidant activity using DPPH, no differences were observed, except in C. gibba. However, with ABTS, L. laccata showed the highest activity (402.6 ± 42.4 µM Trolox/mg). The biological activity of the fungal extracts was also evaluated. Toxicity assays on Artemia salina showed LD50 values ranging from 27.6 to 118.6 µg/mL, indicating variying levels of toxicity depending on the species. Moreover, the extracts showed cytotoxic on various cancer cell lines. Specifically, C. gibba exhibited activity against MCF-7, HCT-15, CaOV3, and HeLa cells; A. vaginata was effective against MCF-7 cells; and L. laccata showed activity against HCT-15 and PC3 cells. These findings indicate that the evaluated fungal extracts contain metabolites associated with antioxidant and in vitro cytotoxic activities. However, further chemical characterization and mechanistic studies are required before suggesting potential pharmacological applications.

Hunter-gatherers faced the survival threat of confusing edible mushrooms with their poisonous twins, imposing selection pressure on those who failed to detect subtle visual differences. Grounded in the ancestral priorities framework, which posits that the human mind is adapted to handle prehistoric challenges, we investigated whether humans spontaneously engage in learning strategies that allow a reliable discrimination to cope with the confusion threat-such as contrasting. We manipulated the labels of two mushroom types between subjects-poisonous and edible (survival threat) versus growing on acidic and alkaline to neutral soil (control)-and engaged them in confusion imagery. We traced learners' spontaneous use of contrasting switches between mushroom twins during learning. Our findings align with the ancestral priorities view: Learners in the survival threat condition imagined the dangerous consequences of confusion more vividly. With the exception of the die-hard blockers (who fully refrained from using contrasting switches), this deep engagement in survival processing led learners to shift their study efforts toward finding differences by switching between mushroom twins-these contrasting switches led to better discrimination. Accordingly, raising awareness of confusion risks can shift learning behaviors toward more effective strategies, offering educational value for settings where accurate discrimination is crucial.

Polysaccharides derived from the mycelium of edible fungi (MEF) are structurally diverse and biologically active macromolecules, garnering extensive attention in functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials. Despite the emerging growth in MEF polysaccharide research, the available literature focuses primarily on reviews on specific polysaccharides, necessitating an urgent need for a comprehensive summary of MEF polysaccharides to provide readers a systematic overview of current advancements in this field. This review systematically elaborates recent advances in MEF polysaccharide research, focusing on their extraction techniques, structural characterization, biological activities, and biosynthetic mechanisms. This review analyzes the effects of various extraction techniques on MEF polysaccharides and also explores the relationship between their structural characteristics and biological activities, highlighting that the complexity of these structures is crucial for determining their functional diversity. Moreover, the biosynthetic mechanism of MEF polysaccharides is discussed, revealing that regulating enzyme activity, particularly glycosyltransferases, can improve biosynthetic efficiency. Despite promising applications, challenges remain in optimizing extraction sustainability, scaling production processes, and deepening the mechanistic understanding of bioactivity. This comprehensive overview aims to strategically guide future research toward high-value applications and fundamental advances in fungal polysaccharide science.

The first assembled genome of Ischnoderma resinosum (Basidiomycota, edible-medicinal fungus) contributes to insights into its medicinal properties and lignocellulosic degradation potential.

Against the backdrop of China's booming edible fungi industry, shortages and price hikes of traditional cultivation substrates have emerged as critical bottlenecks. Meanwhile, the disposal of a large amount of ginger straw produced during the ginger cultivation process is also a major challenge. To address these issues, this study explored ginger straw as an alternative substrate for Pleurotus geesteranus and Hericium erinaceus, focusing on the optimization of substrate formulas and their effects on the nutritional quality of the fungi. Superior strains were first screened, after which the addition ratios of ginger straw (10-40%) were optimized. Commercial characteristics, nutritional components, and safety indicators of the fruiting bodies were determined, and a comprehensive quality evaluation was conducted using the membership function method. Results indicated that excellent strains of both fungi were selected: the optimal ginger straw addition ratio was 15-30% for P. geesteranus and 15% for H. erinaceus. Compared with the conventional cottonseed hull substrate, the optimized formulas significantly increased the biological efficiency (BE) by 9.08-27.1% for P. geesteranus and 9.16% for H. erinaceus. They also improved the contents of key nutrients (e.g., proteins and amino acids), enhanced total antioxidant capacity, and optimized the composition of flavor-contributing amino acids. This study offers a novel approach for the efficient utilization of ginger straw, provides technical and theoretical support for the low-cost and high-quality cultivation of edible fungi, and contributes positively to the development of ecological circular agriculture.

First report of therapeutic investigation and metabolic profiling of edible mushroom Agaricus flocculosipes.

Introduction Due to its relatively low input requirements, short production cycle, and rapid market responsiveness, the edible fungi industry has gradually emerged as an important agricultural sector for increasing farmers' income and optimizing the structure of agricultural earnings. With the continuous expansion and professionalization of the industry, it is necessary to systematically examine its impact on farmers' economic benefit evaluations from a micro-level perspective. Methods Based on questionnaire survey data collected in 2023 from 814 farm households in typical edible fungi cultivation areas of Hebei Province, this study takes farmers' economic return satisfaction as the outcome variable and constructs a binary choice model. Using a Logistic regression approach, the analysis investigates the effect of participation in the edible fungi industry on the probability of farmers attaining a satisfactory level of economic returns, while controlling for individual characteristics, household conditions, and production and management factors. Results The empirical results indicate that participation in the edible fungi industry significantly increases the likelihood that farmers enter a state of “satisfied or above” economic returns, with the overall model being statistically significant at the 5% level. Substantial heterogeneity is observed in the effects of individual characteristics on economic return satisfaction. Specifically, age (coefficient = 1.487, p < 0.05) and planting experience (coefficient = 0.785, p < 0.05) exert significant positive effects, whereas education level shows a significant negative effect (coefficient = −1.482, p < 0.01). With respect to production and management factors, oak wood area has a significant negative impact on economic return satisfaction (coefficient = −0.684, p < 0.01), while technical cost exhibits a significant positive effect (coefficient = 0.615, p < 0.05). Discussion Overall, the findings confirm that participation in the edible fungi industry plays a significantly positive role in enhancing farmers' economic return satisfaction, providing empirical evidence to support the formulation of targeted industrial support and technology promotion policies.

The rare edible and medicinal mushroom Floccularia luteovirens faces challenges from limited wild resources and low triterpenoid yield in submerged fermentation. To address this, we systematically optimized the fermentation medium using one-factor-at-a-time experiments combined with Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Wheat flour, peptone, and KH2PO4 were identified as the optimal carbon, nitrogen, and inorganic salt sources, respectively. Subsequently, we developed and validated distinct, highly predictive mathematical models for intracellular (R2 = 0.9989) and extracellular (R2 = 0.9984) triterpenoid production. This yielded two optimized media: one designed to maximize intracellular accumulation (29.71 g/L wheat flour, 2.03 g/L peptone, 1.02 g/L KH2PO4), achieving a yield of 18.83 mg/g, and another tailored for high extracellular secretion (30.28 g/L wheat flour, 2.08 g/L peptone, 1.05 g/L KH2PO4), achieving a titer of 0.63 g/L. The experimental results for both targets closely matched the model predictions. Thus, this study not only significantly enhanced overall triterpenoid production but also delineated nutrient-specific strategies for targeting different product locales. The findings provide a reliable technical and theoretical foundation for the scalable and sustainable production of these bioactive compounds.

Draft genome sequence and annotation of the edible mushroom Phlebopus roseus.

The pervasive threat of microbial contamination and the escalating crisis of antimicrobial resistance necessitate the development of novel, sustainable food preservation strategies. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), especially those sourced from food-grade microbes, are emerging as feasible substitutes for conventional chemical preservatives. They provide substantial benefits, including biodegradability, excellent biocompatibility, and a beneficial foundation for later safety evaluations and risk management. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge on AMPs sourced from edible fungi, fermented fungi, and probiotics. It systematically reviews AMP biosynthetic pathways and sources, with an emphasis on structure-activity relationships to link structural features to antimicrobial activity and safety. It further analyzes mechanisms of action across two major modes, membrane targeting and intracellular targeting, and surveys AI-assisted de novo design strategies. Advanced preparation and screening workflows are summarized. Finally, it discusses progress and limitations in food systems and emerging applications in active and intelligent packaging. Key insights reveal that food-grade microbial AMPs are predominantly cationic and amphipathic, with their activity fine-tuned by molecular weight, amino acid composition, and secondary structure. Incorporating these peptides into nanofiber membranes, nanoparticle delivery systems, and biosensors can mitigate the constraints associated with their direct application as antimicrobial agents in food. This method efficiently prolongs food shelf life and facilitates real-time quality assessment. However, challenges such as batch-to-batch variability leading to inconsistent activity, cost-effective production, and the need for standardized safety assessment remain. Thus, future research should focus on the synergistic role of multiomics, AI-assisted design, and precision fermentation in propelling the field toward sustainable and intelligent food packaging solutions.

L-Ergothioneine (L-EGT), a naturally occurring thiol compound abundant mainly in edible fungi, is increasingly regarded as a potentially beneficial bioactive constituent. However, population-level exposure data remain limited. This study aimed to estimate background dietary exposure to L-EGT among Chinese residents, describe its distribution across population subgroups and regions, identify major food contributors, and characterize the risk using a margin of exposure (MOE) approach. Individual body-weight-normalized L-EGT intakes were estimated from published food concentration data and three-day dietary recalls of 42,218 participants. MOEs were calculated using a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 800 mg/kg bw/d obtained from subchronic toxicity studies. The mean dietary exposure to L-EGT was 0.043 mg/kg bw/d (MOE = 18,605) in the general population and 0.174 mg/kg bw/d (MOE = 4598) among consumers, with 95th percentile exposures of 0.244 mg/kg bw/d (MOE = 3279) and 0.644 mg/kg bw/d (MOE = 1242), respectively. MOE values were consistently above the safety threshold of 300 across all subgroups, with less than 0.3% of the total population and 1.3% of consumers aged 3-6 years falling below this value. These results indicate that current natural dietary exposure to L-EGT in China is low and does not raise safety concerns and provide essential baseline data for future studies on its health effects, optimal intake ranges, and long-term safety.

New insights into extraction, isolation and characterization of β-glucan from edible and medicinal mushrooms

Innovative insights into hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] removal by Cordyceps chanhua: Integrating physicochemical characterization and molecular functional analysis.

Mushrooms are valuable fungi with significant economic opportunities. In Maryland, various mushrooms with different morphological features are sold at local and international stores. Within the surrounding bushes, mushrooms are seasonally seen growing and consumers find them indistinguishable from the edible ones due to existing phenotypic similarities among them. Due to increasing demand for mushrooms, identification of elite cultivars has become imperative. Deployment of informative multilocus marker systems for unravelling reliable genetic diversity information, population indices, and species verification within edible and wild mushrooms has not been reported. This study utilized gel-based start codon targeted (SCoT) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing markers to assess genetic diversity, population, and species identification of 68 edible and 57 wild mushroom collections. SCoT analysis revealed 440 alleles, gene diversity of 0.9469 and 0.9453 as polymorphic information content. Effective number of alleles, Nei's gene diversity, and Shannon’s information index varied with increased diversities in Agaricus bisporus . Overall, 125 loci were polymorphic (99.21 %), with intraspecific diversity of 0.4728. Coefficient of differentiation (0.1300) showed 13 % interspecific versus 87 % intraspecific divergence, while gene flow was 3.3430. SCoT analysis distinguished edible from wild mushrooms, with some clustering in similar clades, or coordinates, indicating high genetic informativeness. ITS sequencing identified 13 species from groceries and 30 from wild collections, in which 16 were identified as edible ones. Identities varied (74.09–100 %), with Agaricus bisporus as the most abundant. Lichen-related and potentially harmful fungi were detected from wild collections. Intraspecific variation in A. bisporus ranged from 0.000 to 1.368, and 0.074–5.626 as interspecific variation, with highest (8.724) identified between Pleurotus ostreatus and Flammulina filiformis . F. filiformis showed highest variability. SCoT markers revealed A. bisporus as the most genetically diverse, while ITS identified it as the most common species across Maryland groceries. SCoT and ITS markers proved effective in this study, demonstrating potential integration in selection of mushrooms with unique genetic endowment and accurate species identification for introgression in breeding and germplasm conservation. • Use of SCoT and ITS markers for genetic diversity, population studies, and identification of Maryland mushrooms is unreported. • Studying edible and wild mushrooms with SCoT and ITS reveals biodiversity richness for introgression and conservation. • Mushrooms with highest biodiversity richness and population indices were among the edible mushrooms as revealed by SCoT. • ITS identified mushrooms to species level; no toxic ones among edible samples, but some edible ones found in wild collections.

Edible mushroom proteins for future foods: Integrative insights into nutrition, technofunctionality, extraction, and safety.

The genus Cladobotryum is known for causing cobweb disease in edible mushroom crops. Its parasitic nature has prompted interest in its biocontrol potential and ability to produce cytotoxic compounds. The aim of this study was to identify secondary metabolites in a metahnolic extract of Cladobotryum virescens G.R.W. Arnold, and to evaluate its cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines and its mutagenic effect in vitro. The chemical identification of metabolites was conducted using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) in negative ionization mode. Cytotoxicity was assessed via MTT assay on MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 (both breast cancer), H460 (lung cancer), and L1210 (murine lymphocytic leukemia line) cell lines. A bacterial reversion test using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 (Ames' test) was carried out to evaluate mutagenicity. UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis allowed us to tentatively identify a total of 13 compounds in the extract, including polyketides, anthraquinones, and polyphenols mainly glycosylated flavonoids, among others. The methanolic extract of C. virescens showed significant dose-dependent cytotoxic against various cancer cell lines (IC50=5.02, 50.15, 12.05μg/mL for MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and L1210, respectively) and remarkable primary mutagenic potential. These findings highlight the bioactive potential of C. virescens as a promising source of secondary metabolites for cancer treatment. Particularly, antioxidants may play a role in their cytotoxic effect and support further exploration of Cladobotryum species as a source of biologically active compounds.