Chemical Compounds, Bioactivities, and Potential Applications of the Mushroom Species of Genus Suillus (Agaricomycetes): A Review.

The genus Suillus, also known as "Song mo," falls under the order Boletales and consists of various higher fungi. It establishes mycorrhizae primarily with pine trees and has a good taste and medicinal values. Herein, we reviewed the chemical compounds present in the genus Suillus, including polysaccharides, steroids, phenols, polyprenyl phenol derivatives, fatty acids, organic acids, and amino acids, and their reported bioactivities and potential applications. This review aims to promote the utilization of the resources belonging to the genus Suillus and serves as a theoretical basis for their future studies and clinical applications.

Brown Slime Cap Mushroom (Chroogomphus rutilus, Agaricomycetes) Polysaccharide Resists Motion Sickness by Inhibiting the Activity of the Serotonin System in Mice.

Motion sickness (MS) is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system caused by abnormal exercise with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and drowsiness. More than 90% of the human population has experienced different degrees of MS. At present, anticholinergics, antihistamines, and sympathomimetic drugs are used for treating MS, but these drugs generally have some adverse reactions and are not suitable for all people. Therefore, it is necessary to develop anti-MS drugs that have high efficiency and no adverse effects. Previous studies have found that Chroogomphus rutilus polysaccharide (CRP) is effective at preventing and treating MS in rats and mice. However, its mechanism of action is not clear. To clarify whether the CRP has anti-MS effects in mice, and to clarify its mechanism, we performed behavioral, biochemical, and morphological tests in a Kunming mouse model. Our results indicate that CRPs can significantly relieve the symptoms of MS, and their effect is equivalent to that of scopolamine, a commonly used anti-MS medicine. Our results indicate that CRPs may directly act on the gastrointestinal chromaffin cells to inhibit the synthesis and release of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) and thus reduce the signal from the gastrointestinal tract.

Extraction Optimization and Antioxidant Activities of Ethanol Extract of the Brown Roll-Rim Mushroom Paxillus involutus (Agaricomycetes).

Box Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize the extraction of Paxillus involutus (EPI) in ethanol. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: temperature 45°C; solid:liquid ratio 1:35; time 5 h. Under these conditions, the yield of EPI was 13.57%. The antioxidant activity of EPI was evaluated in vitro, and DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS free radical scavenging, and hydroxyl free radical scavenging effects were found to be equal to or close to that of the positive control vitamin C (VC). The antioxidant activity of EPI was next evaluated in vivo using aging mice; it was found to have appreciable effect on scavenging malonic dialdehyde (MDA) and could increase the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in mice. Overall, EPI showed antioxidant effects in aging mice, thereby delaying aging, and has potential for application as a natural antioxidant and in medical applications.

Hypoglycemic Activity of Total Flavonoids from Slippery Jack Mushroom, Suillus luteus (Agaricomycetes), In Vitro and In Vivo.

The hypoglycemic effects of total flavonoids from Suillus luteus (SLFLA) were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The glucose consumption experiment in HepG2 cells showed that SLFLA had hypoglycemic activity in vitro. Moreover, SLFLA could improve insulin resistance and exhibited good hypoglycemic activity in the insulin resistance model. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, SLFLA could effectively reduce blood sugar, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels. Damage to the liver, kidney, and pancreas in diabetic mice was mitigated after intragastric administration of SLFLA. These results suggested that SLFLA might be a promising functional food or medicine for T2DM treatment.

Antioxidant and Anti-Aging Activities of Ethyl Acetate Extract of the Coral Tooth Mushroom, Hericium coralloides (Agaricomycetes).

The in vitro antioxidant effects of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and ethanol extracts isolated from Hericium coralloides were investigated. Overall, the ethyl acetate extract of H. coralloides (HcEAE) showed better antioxidant activity in vitro than the petroleum ether and ethanol extracts (HcPEE and HcETE, respectively) of H. coralloides. A comprehensive investigation of the antioxidant activity of the HcEAE in vitro indicated that it possessed superior antioxidant activity, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 0.93, 1.84, 1.59, and 0.6 mg/mL against DPPH, hydroxyl, ABTS+, and superoxide (O2- ) radicals, respectively. To assess in vivo antioxidant activity, three different doses of HcEAE were orally administered in a D-galactose-induced aged mouse model. Administration of HcEAE significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and lowered the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in brains and sera of mice in a dose-dependent manner. A histopathology assessment indicated that the HcEAE could ameliorate the anile condition of the model mice. These results suggest that the HcEAE has potent antioxidant activity and could minimize the occurrence of age-associated disorders associated with free radicals.

A Primary Study of the Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic, Hypolipidemic, and Antitumor Activities of Ethanol Extract of Brown Slimecap Mushroom, Chroogomphus rutilus (Agaricomycetes).

In vivo and in vitro treatments were carried out to investigate the effects of a 95% ethanol extract of Chroogomphus rutilus (CRE) on antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antitumor properties. CRE showed potent radical scavenging activity against DPPH in vitro. It could increase antioxidant enzymatic activities (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and could reduce malondialdehyde content in vivo in mice in which aging was induced by D-galactose. CRE had hypoglycemic activity and could significantly inhibit α-glucosidase activity in vitro and decrease blood glucose concentration in vivo. CRE could decrease the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and increase the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in diabetic mice. The MTT assay showed that CRE also had a certain inhibitory effect on the tumor cells. These results suggest that CRE may be beneficial for human health and could be useful for applications in medicine, the food industry, and agriculture.