Shiitake

Shiitake are native to Japan, China and Korea and have been grown in all three countries since prehistoric times.The oldest record regarding the shiitake mushroom dates back to CE 199 at the time of Emperor Chūai in Japan.They have been cultivated for over 1,000 years. The first written record of shiitake cultivation can be traced to Wu Sang Kwuang in China, born during the Song Dynasty.The name shiitake originates from its Japanese name, shiitake.  listen (help·info) (kanji: 椎茸). Shiitake are also dried and sold as preserved food. These are rehydrated by soaking in water before using. Many people prefer dried shiitake to fresh, considering that the sun-drying process draws out the umami flavour from the dried mushrooms. The stems of shiitake are rarely used in Japanese and other cuisines, primarily because the stems are harder and take longer to cook than the soft fleshy caps.Shii is the Japanese name of the tree Castanopsis cuspidata that provides the dead logs on which it is typically cultivated, and take means "mushroom". Other common names by which the mushroom is known in English include "Chinese black mushroom", "black forest mushroom", "black mushroom", "golden oak mushroom", or "oakwood mushroom"...



tags:shiitake,mushroom,

Medicinal mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms:Flammulina velutipes creates asparaginase. Agaricus creates conjugated linoleic acid.

BMS manufactures paclitaxel using Penicillium raistrickii and plant cell fermentation (PCF). Endophytic fungi can synthesize podophyllotoxin and camptothecin, precursors to etoposide, teniposide, topotecan, and irinotecan.

Lentinan, PSK, and PSP, are registered anticancer immunologic adjuvants in certain countries. 

Irofulven and acylfulvene are anticancer derivatives of illudin S. Clavariadelphus truncatus creates the FTI clavaric acid. Inonotus obliquus creates the betulinic acid precursor betulin.

The pleuromutilin antibiotics are derivatives of the mushroom isolate pleuromutilin. The mushroom isolates lentinan, PSK, and PSP, are licensed pharmaceuticals in certain countries. Fungi that do not produce mushrooms, are currently being used to manufacture paclitaxel, and were the original source of the first beta-lactam antibiotics, statins, immunosuppressants like ciclosporin, and antifungals like griseofulvin.Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms used or studied as possible treatments for disease. Research indicates mushrooms have potential antiviral, antimicrobial, anticancer, antihyperglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-inflammatory activities. 



tags:Medicinal mushrooms,plant,