Hydrophilic Metabolite Composition of Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia of Edible Mushroom Species (Agaricomycetes).

Mushrooms have two components, the fruiting body, which encompasses the stalk and the cap, and the mycelium, which supports the fruiting body underground. The part of the mushroom most commonly consumed is the fruiting body. Given that it is more time consuming to harvest the fruiting body versus simply the mycelia, we were interested in understanding the difference in metabolite content between the fruiting bodies and mycelia of four widely consumed mushrooms in Taiwan: Agrocybe cylindracea (AC), Coprinus comatus (CC), Hericium erinaceus (HE), and Hypsizygus marmoreus (HM). In total, we identified 54 polar metabolites using 1H NMR spectroscopy that included sugar alcohols, amino acids, organic acids, nucleosides and purine/pyrimidine derivatives, sugars, and others. Generally, the fruiting bodies of AC, CC, and HM contained higher amounts of essential amino acids than their corresponding mycelia. Among fruiting bodies, HE had the lowest essential amino acid content. Trehalose was the predominant carbohydrate in most samples except for the mycelia of AC, in which the major sugar was glucose. The amount of adenosine, uridine, and xanthine in the samples was similar, and was higher in fruiting bodies compared with mycelia, except for HM. The organic acid and sugar alcohol content between fruiting bodies and mycelia did not tend to be different. Although each mushroom had a unique metabolic profile, the metabolic profile of fruiting bodies and mycelia were most similar for CC and HE, suggesting that the mycelia of CC and HE may be good replacements for their corresponding fruiting bodies. Additionally, each mushroom species had a unique polar metabolite fingerprint, which could be utilized to identify adulteration.

Pilot study of probiotic/colostrum supplementation on gut function in children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Over half of all children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have gastrointestinal (GI) co-morbidities including chronic constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome. The severity of these symptoms has been correlated with the degree of GI microbial dysbiosis. The study objective was to assess tolerability of a probiotic (Bifidobacterium infantis) in combination with a bovine colostrum product (BCP) as a source of prebiotic oligosaccharides and to evaluate GI, microbiome and immune factors in children with ASD and GI co-morbidities. This pilot study is a randomized, double blind, controlled trial of combination treatment (BCP + B. infantis) vs. BCP alone in a cross-over study in children ages 2-11 with ASD and GI co-morbidities (n = 8). This 12-week study included 5 weeks of probiotic-prebiotic supplementation, followed by a two-week washout period, and 5 weeks of prebiotic only supplementation. The primary outcome of tolerability was assessed using validated questionnaires of GI function and atypical behaviors, along with side effects. Results suggest that the combination treatment is well-tolerated in this cohort. The most common side effect was mild gassiness. Some participants on both treatments saw a reduction in the frequency of certain GI symptoms, as well as reduced occurrence of particular aberrant behaviors. Improvement may be explained by a reduction in IL-13 and TNF-α production in some participants. Although limited conclusions can be drawn from this small pilot study, the results support the need for further research into the efficacy of these treatments.

Effect of bovine milk fat globule membranes as a complementary food on the serum metabolome and immune markers of 6-11-month-old Peruvian infants.

This study builds on a previous study by this group in which 6-11-month-old Peruvian infants who were fed bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) containing complementary food had significantly fewer episodes of infection-related bloody diarrhea relative to those consuming a control food (skim milk powder). Micronutrient deficiencies including zinc deficiency were prevalent in this study population. To understand the mechanism behind the health benefits of consuming MFGM, the serum metabolome and cytokine levels, as markers for systemic immune responses, were evaluated using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics and a multiplex system, respectively. Combined with data on micronutrient status and anthropometry, a comparative analysis was performed. Supplementation with MFGM tended to improve micronutrient status, energy metabolism, and growth reflected as increased levels of circulating amino acids and weight gain, particularly in female infants compared to controls. Decreased levels of the microbial choline metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide in the MFGM-supplemented group (both male and female infants) suggest a functional perturbation in the intestinal microbiota. A cytokine shift toward a less T helper type 1 response was observed in those receiving the MFGM supplement, which was mainly attributed to decreases in interleukin-2 levels. Our findings suggest that consumption of MFGM with complementary food may reverse the metabolic abnormalities found in marginally nourished infants, thereby improving metabolic regulation, which may lead to enhanced immunity.

Consumption of vitamin D2 enhanced mushrooms is associated with improved bone health.

Mushrooms are the best nonanimal food source of vitamin D2. Pulsed irradiation can enhance vitamin D2 in mushrooms quickly. We investigated the effect of supplementing high vitamin D2Pleurotus ferulae mushrooms in a mouse model of osteoporosis. Thirty-two female C57BL/6JNarl mice were divided into four groups including sham, ovariectomized (OVX), OVX+nonpulsed mushroom (NPM) and OVX+pulsed mushroom (PM). After 23 weeks of treatment, serum samples were analyzed for osteoblast and osteoclast indicators, as well as metabolites using NMR spectroscopy. To examine bone density, femurs were analyzed using micro-computed tomography. The NPM and PM treatment mice showed increased bone density in comparison with OVX mice. In addition, the PM mice showed higher osteoblast and lower osteoclast indicators in comparison with OVX mice. Serum metabolomics analysis indicated several metabolites that were different in PM mice, some of which could be correlated with bone health. Taken together, these results suggest that pulsed irradiated mushrooms are able to increase bone density in osteoporotic mice possibly through enhanced bone metabolism. Further studies in humans are needed to show their efficacy in preventing osteoporosis.

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of mycelia of a medicinal mushroom from Taiwan, Taiwanofungus salmoneus (higher Basidiomycetes).

Taiwanofungus salmoneus (T.T. Chang et W.N. Chou) Sheng H. Wu et al. (shiang-shan-chih), is a medicinal fungus indigenous to Taiwan. The mycelium was prepared from submerged culture and its ethanolic and hot-water extracts were used to study its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. Gram-positive species (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative species (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium) of bacteria were used. In addition to the inhibitory zone, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) also were determined. The ethanolic extracts showed higher inhibitory and bactericidal activities (MIC and MBC: 6.25-12.50 mg/ml) than the hot-water extracts (MIC and MBC: 25-50 mg/mL). In the anti-inflammatory test, the extracts were tested on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor- α production in RAW 264.7 cells. The values of the inhibition concentration at 50% of nitric oxide production were 18.2 and 14.2 µg/mL for the hot-water and ethanolic extracts, respectively. The 50% inhibitory concentration values of tumor necrosis factor- α production were 4.99 and 7.13 µg/mL for the hot-water and ethanolic extracts, respectively. On the basis of the results obtained, the mycelia could be used as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory supplement.

Comparative study of contents of several bioactive components in fruiting bodies and mycelia of culinary-medicinal mushrooms.

Mushrooms have been consumed for thousands of years, and several bioactive components were found therein, including lovastatin, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and ergothioneine. The study reported herein was to analyze these three bioactive components in 15 fruiting bodies and 9 mycelia of 19 species of mushrooms from genera Agaricus, Agrocybe, Auricularia, Boletus, Ganoderma, Hypsizygus, Inonotus, Lentinus, Morchella, Pleurotus, Tremella, Termitomyces, and Volvariella. The results show that Hypsizygus marmoreus contained the highest amount of lovastatin (628.05 mg/kg) in fruiting bodies and Morchella esculenta contained the highest amount (1438.42 mg/ kg) in mycelia. Agaricus brasiliensis contained the highest amount of GABA (1844.85 mg/kg) in fruiting bodies, and mycelia of Boletus edulis, Pleurotus citrinopileatus, and Termitomyces albuminosus contained extraordinarily higher amounts (1274.03, 1631.67, and 2560.00 mg/kg, respectively). Volvariella volvacea contained the highest amount of ergothioneine (537.27 mg/kg) in fruiting bodies and mycelia; Boletus edulis, Pleurotus ferulae, and P. salmoneostramineus contained relatively higher amount of ergothioneine too (258.03, 250.23, and 222.08 mg/kg, respectively). However, none of these components was detected in fruiting bodies of Inonotus obliquus. In conclusion, these three bioactive components were commonly found in most mushrooms, and these results might be related to their beneficial effects.