Medicinal Mushrooms

Georges M. Halpern, MD, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
drgeorges@drgeorges.net
HK VTC 26-11-06

HK VTC 26-11-06

Medicinal Mushrooms as Immunoregulators

An immunoregulator is any substance that can quiet or
activate the immune system, depending on
circumstances.
Medicinal mushrooms can help the immune system stay
wide awake and strike the perfect balance between
overactivity and sluggishness.

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Polysaccharides and Beta Glucans

Beta Glucans are a type of polysaccharide found in
mushrooms that give mushrooms some medicinal
properties.
Beta Glucans are huge molecules
Beta Glucans are decoys that make the body believe it is
being invaded by a microbe or a foreign cell
Beta Glucans bind to certain receptors on the surface of
macrophages and other white blood cells
Beta Glucans have been shown to stimulate the production of
some cytokines
Prevention of asthma
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Medicinal Mushrooms as Adaptogens

Adaptogens are substances that help the body

adapt during times of stress
Stress and Cortisol
Effects of adaptogens on stress
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Terpenoids in Mushrooms
anti-infectious
anti-inflammatory

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Medicinal Mushrooms and Prebiotics

Mushrooms form a class above many other
prebiotics
Stimulate M cells in the lining of the intestine

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Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi, Lingzhi)

Bitter (terpenoids)

CFS,
Diabetes,cholesterol,
Asthma
Vit C improves
absorption
Protects skin vs. UV
(cancer), WBC vs.
radiation.
Traditional indications:

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Cordyceps sinensis

Can be cooked with:

old duck
black-bone hen
lean pork (for men)
quail
baked abalone (bronchitis)

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Halpern GM. Cordyceps: Chinas

healing mushroom. Avery, NY.
199;116pp

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Cordyceps Cs-4: History and Discovery

For more than a thousand years, Cordyceps sinensis has been
the most prized tonic food in Asia, especially in China.

Cordyceps sinensis was recorded in New Compilation of
Materia Medica as:
sweet and neutral in nature
protects lung and kidney function
nourishes the essence and vital energy.
Cordyceps sinensis is primarily a kind of parasitic mushroom.
The principal species is Paecilomyces hepiali
Chen.(Cs-4)
In the late 1970s, Institute of Materia Medica, Beijing, initiated a
10-year program to study Cordyceps sinensis.
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Cordyceps Cs-4: History and Discovery

Institute of Materia Medica successfully developed a deep layer
fermentation method for the industrial production of Cordyceps
Cs-4 in 1985.
Chinese Ministry of Health approved Cordyceps Cs-4 as the first
Class-One TCM in 1987. 1
Cordyceps Cs-4 was commercially introduced in China in 1989.
1989
There are >600,000 regular Cordyceps Cs-4 users in China
today (70 mm RMB in 1996 sales).
Cordyceps Cs-4 has one of the most outstanding records of
product safety.
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Cordyceps Claims

Historical
- Protects lung and kidney function
- Nourishes the essence and vital energy
Current
- Promotes stamina, healthy lung function

- Increases endurance
- Reduces fatigue
Dose: 525mg capsule: 2 capsules twice or three times daily
with food 525mg/ 2-3 2
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Cordyceps and Sexual Function: Summary

PN0016-2: Placebo-controlled trial

65.2% improvement

PN0074: Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

66.1% improvement
PN0341: Placebo-controlled trial
64% improvement ; 22% 17-hydrocortisone;
7.5% 17-ketosterol
PN0346: Open trial
Sperm count : 33% (from 99 to 132 million/L)
Malformed sperms : 20% (from 70% to 50%)
Sperms survival rate : 23% (from 29% to 50%)
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Agaricus blazei Murill

Low MW -1,4-glucan,6-glucan has strong
anti-tumor effect in
mice, T cells, WBC,
NK cells, C3 activity
vs. tumors
Glucan-protein complex
found in edible
mushroom
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Grifola frondosa (Maitake)

Hypoglycemic (diabetes)
blood lipids, LDL (not
HDL); hypotensive
Grifon-D + vit C vs.
prostate cancer cells
Vs. obesity
Protects liver vs. Dgalactosamine toxicity
IL-6, TNF- production
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Phellinus linteus
In skin creams (vs.
aging)
Shrinks melanoma tumor
in mice (+
Adriamycin); no effect
on metastases
T-cell, cytotoxic T-cell;
NK-cell, macrophage;
B-cell activity
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Trametes versicolor (ex Coriolus

versicolor, Yunzhi) PSK/Krestin; PSP
After 10y, 39% (vs. 16%)
[n=185] of PSK stage I-II
lung cancer survived
After 10y, 81.1% (vs. 64.5%)
[n=227] of PSK (+
chemo) breast cancer
survived
PSP (Cov-1)side-effects of
chemo-, radio-therapy

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Hericium erinaceus (Pompom blanc)

Vs. GI disorders, bleeding

Hercenon A & B, Y-A-2 fatty
extract may be chemo vs.
cancer
Helps NGF, vs. Alzheimers
T-cell response to Con-A,
LPS
immune-mediated shrinking
of tumors in mice

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154 Lentinan ref.

Lentinula edodes (Shiitake)
PubMed
Developed by Tomio
Tada
Major adjuvant vs.
malignancies in Japan
Improves QOL,
tolerance to AZT, ddi
in HIV+ patients
Fights oral bacteria (vs.
caries)
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Agaricus bisporus (Champignon)

Prevention of blindness
vs. PVR
Better healing after
glaucoma surgery
Prevention of spread of
human epithelial
cancer cells; antiaromatase (breast
cancer in postmenopausal women)

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Devilled Mushrooms
450g Agaricus bisporus
60-85g Butter
40ml Medium Paprika
40ml chopped Mango chutney
Chili, Salt and Black Pepper, Sour
Cream
Fry the mushrooms in butter until
soft. Season with chili and
pepper. Stir in the paprika and
chutney and a little salt. Cook
for a further 4 minutes and
spoon into a serving bowl. Sour
ream can be stirred in, or served
separately.
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Antrodia camphorata
Anti-inflammatory
Protects liver vs. toxicity
& fibrosis
Anti-viral (Hepatitis B)
Inhibits growth of a
breast cancer cell line
Neuroprotective
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Dictyophora indusiata (Veiled lady)

Protects or improve CNS, including nerve growth

Anti-inflammatory on both edema & hyperalgesia

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Fomitopsis officinalis (Agarikon)

Styptic
Vs. viruses: yellow
fever, SARS, pox
viruses
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 Poria

Tonic for the elderly;

cocos helps growth in
children
Diuretic vs. edema
Anti-leukemia (=
etoposide)
Vs. psoriasis
Topical vs. oily skin &
acne
Vs. abortion & organ
rejection

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Rozites caperata (Gipsy)

Anti-viral: vs. influenza A, chicken pox, herpes

simplex 1 & 2, respiratory syncytial virus
(Not by eating mushroom!)

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Gipsy veal saut

lb veal scaloppini
2tb butter
1c sliced Gipsy mushrooms
c sliced scallions incl. tops
2tb dry vermouth, or 2tb chicken
broth
c heavy cream
1 tb sun-dried tomato paste
Saut veal in butter until lightly
browned. Remove from pan.
Add scallions & mushrooms.
Saut lightly. Add vermouth or
chicken broth & bring to a boil.
Add cream & tomato paste.
Cook 2 min. Return veal to pan
to heat through.
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Tremella fuciformis (Snow fungus)

Vs. tuberculosis, high blood pressure

Immuno-stimulant vs. tumors
Anti-diabetic

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Steamed Papaya Broth with Almonds

& Snow Fungus

HK VTC 26-11-06

1kg ripe papaya

30g snow fungus, soaked for 1 hour
60g almonds, soaked in hot water
and skinned
10g seedless red dates
60g rock sugar
2 1/2 cups water
Peel, halve and remove seeds from
papaya. Using a metal spoon, scoop
out the flesh of the papaya. Combine
the papaya flesh, fungus, almonds,
red dates, rock sugar and water in a
large bowl. Steam
30 over a slow fire

The End
Thanks!

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