John Miller
Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years, both as food and as medicine. They are increasingly being recognized for their health benefits, including immune support, and for their potential as a source of therapeutic agents. For example, the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma sp. is known to exhibit antimicrobial and anti-parasitic activities. Oyster mushrooms, on the other hand, are notorious for their ability to paralyze and kill nematode worms, which they then devour to obtain nitrogen. This unique ability has inspired the development of antiworm drugs, such as ivermectin, which made headlines during the pandemic. Understanding the mechanisms employed by mushrooms to kill parasites could lead to further advancements in pest control and drug development.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushrooms that kill parasites | Oyster mushrooms, Ganoderma sp., Amadou mushroom |
| Type of parasite | Coccidiosis-causing parasites, Nematodes, Roundworms, Intestinal parasites |
| Mechanism | Oyster mushrooms use a toxin to paralyze and kill nematodes; Ganoderma sp. has anti-parasitic compounds; Amadou mushroom reduces inflammation and cauterizes wounds |
| Applications | Potential for Ganoderma sp. to be a source of therapeutic agents; Lectin from Fomitella fraxinea mushroom used to activate the innate immune system in chickens to protect against coccidiosis |
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What You'll Learn
- Oyster mushrooms kill roundworms with a toxin, 3-octanone
- Oyster mushrooms paralyse nematodes with toxocysts
- Medicinal mushroom Ganoderma sp. is used to treat chronic diseases
- Coccidiosis-causing parasites can be combated with Fomitella fraxinea lectin
- Amadou mushrooms were used by Hippocrates to reduce inflammation
Oyster mushrooms kill roundworms with a toxin, 3-octanone
Oyster mushrooms, or Pleurotus ostreatus, are the reproductive structures, or fruiting bodies, of a fungus. They are edible and feature in cuisines worldwide. However, they have a sinister side: they prey on tiny animals, particularly roundworms, or nematodes.
Oyster mushrooms grow on nutrient-poor rotting wood, which is low in nitrogen. To obtain this essential element, they feed on nitrogen-rich microscopic nematodes. When a nematode encounters the fungus, the mushroom paralyses and kills it, devouring its flesh with root-like tendrils called hyphae.
The mystery of how oyster mushrooms kill nematodes has long been a mystery. However, researchers have now discovered that the mushrooms use a particular toxin to paralyze and kill the worms before sucking out their insides. The toxin is a nerve gas called 3-octanone, which is encapsulated in microscopic, lollipop-shaped structures on the mushroom's surface. When a nematode brushes past, the structures rupture and release the gas, which is highly toxic to the worm's nervous system.
The discovery of 3-octanone was made by a team of researchers, including Yen-Ping Hsueh at Academia Sinica, Taiwan, and her colleagues. They found that the nerve gas caused a huge influx of calcium ions into the worm's nerve and muscle cells, leading to paralysis and death.
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Oyster mushrooms paralyse nematodes with toxocysts
Oyster mushrooms, or Pleurotus ostreatus, are the reproductive structures, or fruiting bodies, of a fungus that preys on nematodes, which are microscopic roundworms. While it has been known since the 1980s that this fungus preys on nematodes, the mechanism by which it did so remained a mystery until recently.
Yen-Ping Hsueh, a molecular biologist at the Academia Sinica research institute in Taiwan, and her colleagues discovered that P. ostreatus contains tiny, lollipop-shaped structures that break open when nematodes press their heads against them. These structures are called toxocysts and are essential for P. ostreatus to paralyse its prey. Once ruptured, these toxocysts release a nerve gas that is highly toxic to nematodes' nervous systems.
The researchers analysed the contents of the lollipop structures in non-mutant fungi and found that they were packed with a volatile chemical called 3-octanone. When exposed to this chemical, four different nematode species experienced a massive influx of calcium ions into their nerve and muscle cells, leading to rapid paralysis and death.
The oyster mushroom has thus evolved a specialised structure containing a volatile ketone to disrupt the cell membrane integrity of its prey, leading to rapid cell and organismal death in nematodes. This mechanism differs from those used by other carnivorous fungi and may be unique to oyster mushrooms.
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Medicinal mushroom Ganoderma sp. is used to treat chronic diseases
The medicinal mushroom Ganoderma sp. has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and is known as "God's herb" in ancient China. It is believed to prolong life, enhance the youthful spirit, and sustain vitality. Ganoderma sp. is widely used for the remedy and management of various chronic diseases, including metabolic disorders, cancers, diabetes, hypertension, hepatitis, and cardiovascular diseases.
Ganoderma sp. contains a wide range of bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, ergosterol, coumarin, organic acids, glucosamine, mannitol, polysaccharide alcohol, fatty acids, alkaloids, water-soluble proteins, and enzymes. These compounds possess various therapeutic properties, including antitumor, anticytopenia, immune stabilization, antioxidant, and mushroom poison detoxification activities. Ganoderma sp. is also a rich source of enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, lysozyme, and protein enzymes, which are essential for the body's disease defense and metabolic processes.
Research has shown that Ganoderma sp. exhibits antimicrobial and anti-parasitic activities, with isolated compounds active against several microorganisms and parasites. In addition, Ganoderma sp. has been found to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, immune-boosting, anticancer, antitumor, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypotensive properties. Ganoderma sp. extracts are given as supplements or medicine for several ailments and diseases.
Recent research has also focused on the potential benefits of Ganoderma sp. in treating metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, as well as its possible role in preventing and treating infections caused by the coronavirus. Ganoderma sp. polysaccharides have been found to reduce body weight and improve glucose metabolism in animal models of obesity. Additionally, compounds found in Ganoderma sp., such as ganoderic acids, ganodermanondiol, lucidumol, and β-glucans, have shown potential antiviral effects and may help modulate the immune response to COVID-19.
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Coccidiosis-causing parasites can be combated with Fomitella fraxinea lectin
Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by parasites of the genus Eimeria, which infect the intestinal tract. It is often most severe in young birds or those with weakened immunity, and can cause bloody diarrhoea, severe dehydration, weight loss, and even death.
Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that stimulate disease-fighting cells by binding to their sugar residues, inducing the release of potent immune-system proteins called cytokines. One such lectin, Fomitella fraxinea lectin (FFrL), derived from the mushroom Fomitella fraxinea, has been found to have a novel immunopotentiating effect on poultry cell-mediated immunity and resistance to coccidiosis.
In one study, researchers extracted FFrL from Fomitella fraxinea and tested its effects on various cell types. They found that it agglutinated mouse erythrocytes, thymocytes, and various other cell lines, including murine and human, but did not agglutinate human erythrocytes. FFrL also showed potent mitogenic activity on chicken splenic lymphocytes, even outperforming Concanavalin A, a well-known potent mitogen for lymphocytes, at lower concentrations.
Furthermore, injecting 18-day-old chicken embryos with FFrL followed by an oral E. acervulina challenge infection resulted in significant protection against weight loss associated with coccidiosis and a reduction in oocyst shedding compared to control groups. These findings demonstrate that FFrL can effectively promote growth and stimulate immunity in poultry during coccidiosis.
In conclusion, coccidiosis-causing parasites can be combated with Fomitella fraxinea lectin, as it has been shown to enhance immunity and protect against the negative effects of coccidiosis in poultry. Further research and applications of FFrL may help to mitigate the impact of coccidiosis in vulnerable bird populations.
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Amadou mushrooms were used by Hippocrates to reduce inflammation
Amadou mushrooms, also known as Fomes fomentarius, have been used for their medicinal properties for thousands of years. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, circa 450 BCE, is known to have used amadou mushrooms to reduce inflammation and cauterize wounds. Amadou is a spongy fungus, often used to start fires, and was even found with birch polypore in the supplies of Ötzi the Iceman, who lived nearly 5300 years ago.
The use of amadou mushrooms by Hippocrates highlights the long history of humans relying on mushrooms as medicine. Mushrooms are nature's miniature pharmaceutical factories, producing a vast array of novel constituents. The chemicals that mushrooms create to flourish in the wild are often active in humans as well, providing evolutionary advantages for humans who learned to use them as medicine.
In addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, amadou mushrooms have been traditionally used for other medicinal purposes. For example, they have been used to cauterize wounds, as evidenced by their presence in the supplies of Ötzi the Iceman, who likely used them for survival in the Alps of northern Italy.
Today, mushrooms are still valued for their medicinal properties, with ongoing research exploring their potential benefits. For instance, studies have found that chaga mushrooms, a type of white-rot fungus, can reduce inflammation and have positive effects on autoimmune issues like Hashimoto's and psoriasis. Additionally, lion's mane mushrooms have been found to speed up wound healing and aid in nerve repair in injured rats.
The medicinal properties of mushrooms extend beyond just inflammation reduction, and modern science is continuing to uncover the potential therapeutic benefits of mushrooms, building upon the ancient knowledge of Hippocrates and other historical figures.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushrooms that kill parasites include the oyster mushroom and the Ganoderma mushroom.
Oyster mushrooms use a toxin to paralyze and kill nematodes, a type of worm. The mushroom then consumes the nitrogen-rich flesh of the nematode.
Ganoderma mushrooms contain compounds that exhibit anti-parasitic activities. These compounds have been shown to be effective against various parasites, including those that cause coccidiosis in birds.
