Medicinal uses of fungi

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Medicinal fungi are fungi that contain metabolites or can be induced to produce metabolites through biotechnology to develop prescription drugs. Compounds successfully developed into drugs or under research include those treating infection with amoeba, bacteria, fungus, virus, inhibitors of cholesterol and ergosterol synthesis, and psychotropics.

Contents

History

In Ancient Egypt moldy bread was applied to wound infection. [1]

Inonotus obliquus was used in folk medicine tumor treatment in Russia and Northern Europe during the 16th century . [2]

The ability to identify beneficial properties and then extract the active ingredient from mold started with the discovery of penicillin [1] from Penicillium rubens [3] by Alexander Fleming, September 1928. [1] [4] Scientific investigation into pharmacological applications of mushrooms began during the 1960s. [5]

Research and drug development

Amebicides

Fumagillin was isolated in 1949 from Aspergillus fumigatus . [6] [7]

Antibacterial agents (antibiotics)

Pleuromutilin was discovered as an antibiotic in 1951. [8] [9] It is derived from Omphalina mutila (formerly Pleurotus mutilus) and Clitopilus passeckerianus (formerly Pleurotus passeckerianus). [8] Cephalosporins were first sold in 1964, [10] the mold which yielded cephalosporin C was first discovered by Giuseppe Brotzu in July 1945. [11] Citromycin from Penicillium [12] was discovered in 1969. [13] Oudemansin A from Oudemansiella mucida was first described in 1979. [14] Plectasin from Pseudoplectania nigrella was discovered in 2005. [15]

Cancer

As of 2022, there is not enough scientific evidence to indicate that any mushroom or mushroom extract is effective for reducing the risk of cancer. [16] [ better source needed ]

Cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors

The red yeast rice fungus, Monascus purpureus, can synthesize three statins. Red yeast rice.jpg
The red yeast rice fungus, Monascus purpureus , can synthesize three statins.

Statins are an important class of cholesterol-lowering drugs; the first generation of statins were derived from fungi. [17] Lovastatin, the first commercial statin, was extracted from a fermentation broth of Aspergillus terreus . [17] Industrial production is now capable of producing 70 mg lovastatin per kilogram of substrate. [18]

Antifungals

Griseofulvin is derived from a number of Penicillium species; [19] caspofungin is derived from Glarea lozoyensis . [20]

Psychotropic effects

Hallucinogenic mushrooms include [21] Amanita muscaria, the fly agaric and "magic mushrooms", which contain psilocybin and psilocin. [21]

The history of bread-making records deadly ergotism caused by ergot, most commonly Claviceps purpurea , a parasite of cereal crops. [22] [23] Psychoactive ergot alkaloid drugs have subsequently been extracted from or synthesised starting from ergot; these include ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, ergometrine, ergocristine, ergocryptine, ergocornine, methysergide, bromocriptine, cabergoline, and pergolide. [22] [24]

Antivirals

Brefeldin A was first isolated from Penicillium decumbens in 1958 at Purdue University. [25] [26] [27]

Vitamin D2

The photochemistry of vitamin D2 biosynthesis Vitamin D biosynthesis in fungi and animals.svg
The photochemistry of vitamin D2 biosynthesis

Fungi are a source of ergosterol which can be converted to vitamin D2 upon exposure to ultraviolet light. [28] [29] [30]

Yeasts

The yeast Saccharomyces is used industrially to produce the amino acid lysine, as well as recombinant proteins insulin and hepatitis B surface antigen. Transgenic yeasts are used to produce artemisinin, as well as insulin analogs. [31] Candida is used industrially to produce vitamins ascorbic acid and riboflavin. Pichia is used to produce the amino acid tryptophan and the vitamin pyridoxine. Rhodotorula is used to produce the amino acid phenylalanine. Moniliella is used industrially to produce the sugar alcohol erythritol.[ citation needed ]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Discovery and Development of Penicillin". American Chemical Society, International Historic Chemical Landmarks. 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Zheng W, Miao K, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Zhang M, Pan S, Dai Y (July 2010). "Chemical diversity of biologically active metabolites in the sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus and submerged culture strategies for up-regulating their production". Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 87 (4): 1237–54. doi: 10.1007/s00253-010-2682-4 . PMID   20532760. S2CID   22145043.
  3. ↑ Lalchhandama K (2020). "Reappraising Fleming's snot and mould". Science Vision. 20 (1): 29–42. doi: 10.33493/scivis.20.01.03 .
  4. ↑ Boucher HW, Talbot GH, Benjamin DK, Bradley J, Guidos RJ, Jones RN, Murray BE, Bonomo RA, Gilbert D (June 2013). "10 x '20 Progress – development of new drugs active against gram-negative bacilli: an update from the Infectious Diseases Society of America". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 56 (12): 1685–94. doi:10.3201/eid2305.161556. PMC   5403050 . PMID   23599308.
  5. ↑ Wasser SP. (2010) Medicinal mushroom science: history, current status, future trends, and unsolved problems. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 12, 1-16. in: Zaporaa, Ewa; Wolkowyckia, Marek; Bakiera, Slawomir; Zjawionyb, Jordan K. (2016). "Phellinus igniarius: A Pharmacologically Active Polypore Mushroom". Natural Product Communications. 11 (7): 1043. doi:10.1177/1934578X1601100741. PMID   30452190.
  6. ↑ F. R. Hanson, T. E. Elbe, J. Bacteriol. 1949, 58, 527
  7. ↑ Lefkove B, Govindarajan B, Arbiser JL (August 2007). "Fumagillin: an anti-infective as a parent molecule for novel angiogenesis inhibitors". Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy. 5 (4): 573–579. doi:10.1586/14787210.5.4.573. PMID   17678422. S2CID   41794515.
  8. 1 2 Kavanagh F, Hervey A, Robbins WJ (September 1951). "Antibiotic substances from basidiomycetes: VIII. Pleurotus multilus (Fr.) Sacc. and Pleurotus passeckerianus Pilat". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 37 (9): 570–574. Bibcode:1951PNAS...37..570K. doi: 10.1073/pnas.37.9.570 . PMC   1063423 . PMID   16589015.
  9. ↑ Novak R, Shlaes DM (February 2010). "The pleuromutilin antibiotics: a new class for human use". Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs. 11 (2): 182–91. PMID   20112168. S2CID   41588014.
  10. ↑ "cephalosporin" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  11. ↑ Tilli Tansey; Lois Reynolds, eds. (2000). Post Penicillin Antibiotics: From acceptance to resistance?. Wellcome Witnesses to Contemporary Medicine. History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group. ISBN   978-1-84129-012-6. OL   12568269M. Wikidata   Q29581637.
  12. ↑ Capon, RJ; Stewart, M; Ratnayake, R; Lacey, E; Gill, JH (2007). "Citromycetins and bilains A-C: New aromatic polyketides and diketopiperazines from Australian marine-derived and terrestrial Penicillium spp". Journal of Natural Products. 70 (11): 1746–52. doi:10.1021/np0702483. PMID   17958395.
  13. ↑ Kusakabe, Y; Yamauchi, Y; Nagatsu, C; Abe, H; Akasaki, K (1969). "Citromycin, a new antibiotic. I. Isolation and characterization". The Journal of Antibiotics. 22 (3): 112–8. doi: 10.7164/antibiotics.22.112 . PMID   4978096.
  14. ↑ Anke, Timm; Hecht, Hans Jürgen; Chramm, Georgs; Steglich, Wolfgang (1979). "Antibiotics from basidiomycetes. IX. Oudemansin, an antifungal antibiotic from Oudemansiella mucida (Schrader ex Fr.) hoehnel (Agaricales)". The Journal of Antibiotics. 32 (11): 1112–1117. doi: 10.7164/antibiotics.32.1112 . PMID   528381.
  15. ↑ Mygind, Per H.; Fischer, Rikke L.; Schnorr, Kirk M.; Hansen, Mogens T.; Sönksen, Carsten P.; Ludvigsen, Svend; Raventós, Dorotea; Buskov, Steen; Christensen, Bjarke; De Maria, Leonardo; Taboureau, Olivier (2005). "Plectasin is a peptide antibiotic with therapeutic potential from a saprophytic fungus". Nature. 437 (7061): 975–980. Bibcode:2005Natur.437..975M. doi:10.1038/nature04051. ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   16222292. S2CID   4423851.
  16. ↑ "Medicinal mushrooms in cancer treatment". Cancer Research UK. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  17. 1 2 Tobert JA (July 2003). "Lovastatin and beyond: the history of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors". Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery. 2 (7): 517–26. doi:10.1038/nrd1112. PMID   12815379. S2CID   3344720.
  18. ↑ Jahromi MF, Liang JB, Ho YW, Mohamad R, Goh YM, Shokryazdan P (2012). "Lovastatin production by Aspergillus terreus using agro-biomass as substrate in solid state fermentation". Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology. 2012: 196264. doi: 10.1155/2012/196264 . PMC   3478940 . PMID   23118499.
  19. ↑ Block, Seymour Stanton (2001). Disinfection, Sterilization, and Preservation. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 631. ISBN   978-0-683-30740-5.
  20. ↑ Richardson, Malcolm D.; Warnock, David W. (2003). Fungal Infection Diagnosis and Management. Wiley. ISBN   978-1-4051-1578-0.
  21. 1 2 "Hallucinogenic mushrooms drug profile". The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
  22. 1 2 Schiff, Paul L. (September 2006). "Ergot and Its Alkaloids". American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 70 (5): 98. doi:10.5688/aj700598 (inactive 2024-11-20). PMC   1637017 . PMID   17149427.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  23. ↑ Shiel, William C. "Medical Definition of Ergotism". MedicineNet. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  24. ↑ Schade R, Andersohn F, Suissa S, Haverkamp W, Garbe E (January 2007). "Dopamine agonists and the risk of cardiac-valve regurgitation". The New England Journal of Medicine. 356 (1): 29–38. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa062222 . PMID   17202453.
  25. ↑ McCloud, T. G.; Burns, M. P.; Majadly, F. D.; Muschik, G. M.; Miller, D. A.; Poole, K. K.; Roach, J. M.; Ross, J. T.; Lebherz, W. B. (1995-07-01). "Production of brefeldin-A". Journal of Industrial Microbiology. 15 (1): 5–9. doi: 10.1007/BF01570006 . ISSN   0169-4146. PMID   7662298. S2CID   8511645.
  26. ↑ "Molecule of the Week Archive Brefeldin A". American Chemical Society. 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  27. ↑ Singleton, V. L.; Bohonos, N.; Ullstrup, A. J. (12 April 1958). "Decumbin, a New Compound from a Species of Penicillium". Nature. 181: 1072–1073. doi:10.1038/1811072a0.
  28. ↑ Keegan RJ, Lu Z, Bogusz JM, Williams JE, Holick MF (January 2013). "Photobiology of vitamin D in mushrooms and its bioavailability in humans". Dermato-Endocrinology. 5 (1): 165–76. doi:10.4161/derm.23321. PMC   3897585 . PMID   24494050.
  29. ↑ Kamweru PK, Tindibale EL (2016). "Vitamin D and Vitamin D from Ultraviolet-Irradiated Mushrooms (Review)". International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. 18 (3): 205–14. doi:10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i3.30. PMID   27481154.
  30. ↑ Cardwell, Glenn; Bornman, Janet; James, Anthony; Black, Lucinda (13 October 2018). "A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D". Nutrients. 10 (10): 1498. doi: 10.3390/nu10101498 . PMC   6213178 . PMID   30322118.
  31. ↑ Peplow, Mark (16 April 2013). "Sanofi launches malaria drug production". Chemistry World.
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