Medicinal Mushrooms Offer Recovery Aid, Addiction Solutions, and Eco-Friendly Containers

Medicinal Mushrooms Offer Recovery Aid, Addiction Solutions, and Eco-Friendly Containers

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Blood sugar boost 🩸 Incredible! Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) polysaccharides have been shown to decrease fasting glucose by 17% in prediabetic mice. It also improves insulin resistance and blood lipids, all while boosting metabolic health[1].

Cholesterol control 🫀 Straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) polysaccharides help decrease fat buildup, promoting gut health by feeding beneficial bacteria. One extract increases acetate and propionate, beneficial for heart health, while the other reduces harmful microbes[2].

Mushroom healing 🩹 A wound dressing made from Agaricus bisporus stem aerogels, enhanced with lysine and graphene oxide, eliminates over 95% of bacteria like S. aureus and E. coli under mild light therapy. Plus, it reduces inflammation, accelerates healing, and boosts blood vessel growth, collagen formation, and tissue repair in infected wounds[3].

Ganoderma flavonoids 👅 Wild and cultivated Ganoderma species offer antioxidant, antimicrobial, and blood sugar-lowering effects. Extracts from cultivated black Ganoderma stems display the most potent antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition, while caps from cultivated red Ganoderma exhibit the strongest antimicrobial activity[4].

Skin saviors 🧴 Umbelopsis sp. TM01, discovered in Tricholoma matsutake, outperforms matsutake extracts in anti-wrinkle and skin-brightening effects while being less toxic to human skin cells[5].

Mushroom defense ⚡ Oyster mushroom mycelia (Pleurotus ostreatus) activate repair signals when injured, using oxygen molecules (ROS) and calcium to trigger healing and defense, highlighting their crucial role in fungal wound recovery and resistance[6].

Vitamin D2 boost ☀️ White button (Agaricus bisporus) and shiitake (Lentinula edodes) powders yield up to 14 times more vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light. Heat + UV works best for white button, while shiitake retains more D2 and ergosterol with UV alone, making these mushrooms a dependable, plant-based source of shelf-stable vitamin D[7].

Brain booster 🧠 Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) supports brain function by encouraging nerve growth factor (NGF) production, reducing inflammation, and shielding neurons from oxidative stress[8].

Addiction breakthrough 🛞 Psilocybin-assisted therapy has demonstrated a significant reduction in alcohol and tobacco use across 16 studies[9]. For alcohol use disorder, participants had fewer heavy drinking days and higher abstinence rates, while smoking cessation rates reached up to 80% in tobacco studies[9]. Mystical experiences during treatment emerge as powerful predictors of long-term success. Preliminary evidence for other addictions like opioids and cocaine is promising[9].

Parkinson's Update 💟 A small open-label trial found that 12 people with Parkinson's disease experienced reduced depression, anxiety, improved cognitive flexibility, and better motor function after two psilocybin doses and psychotherapy with no serious side effects[10]. Remarkably, they saw improvements in motor symptoms, suggesting this therapy could aid in managing the motor symptoms of neurological diseases.

Phantom pain relief 🌬️ A single 25 mg dose of psilocybin reduces phantom limb pain by 59% and residual limb pain nearly 80% in amputees, with effects lasting at least 4 weeks. No serious side effects have been reported[11]. Researchers believe psilocybin helps "reset" pain signals in the brain by activating pathways involved in emotion and perception.

Weight loss aid 🍽️ Psilocybin, when combined with a low-fat diet, helps obese mice lose weight more effectively. After four weeks, mice given psilocybin were 2.5 times more likely to show significant weight loss compared to controls[12]. Interestingly, psilocybin doesn't reduce appetite, but it seems to enhance weight loss efforts by boosting brain flexibility and response to dietary interventions.

Psychedelic first for binge eating 💉 Swinburne University will soon conduct the world's first clinical trial using IV-administered psilocin to treat binge eating disorder. This method allows for precise control over the psychedelic experience and faster reversal if needed[13].

Grief relief support 🕊️ The PARTING trial is the first clinical study to investigate psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for prolonged grief disorder (PGD) following cancer loss. Fifteen participants will receive a 25 mg dose of psilocybin combined with 7 psychotherapy sessions over 5 weeks. Researchers aim to assess the safety, tolerability, and emotional impact of the approach over a 12-month follow-up[13].

Biodegradable packaging 🥤 Researchers have developed biodegradable packaging using the mycelium of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) as an eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastics[14].

Pollution cleanup 💊 White-rot fungi like turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) can effectively break down common pharmaceuticals, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, in water[15].

Resilient pest control 💥 Insect-killing fungi like Metarhizium and Beauveria form microsclerotia, dense survival structures that can withstand heat, UV, and drought, making them a powerful, chemical-free alternative for long-lasting organic pest control[16].

Methane makeover 🔥 White rot fungi such as the elm oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus), milk-white toothed polypore (Irpex lacteus), and rusty gilled polypore (Dichomitus squalens) increase methane production in agricultural waste by up to 2.15 times[17].

Plastic-eating fungi 🌊 Two marine fungi, Aspergillus terreus and Alternaria alternata, break down nearly half the weight of plastic bag strips (LDPE) after 8 weeks[16].

Oil spill solution 🛢️ Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) clean up petroleum-contaminated soil in Iraq[18].

Disappearing mushrooms 😢 A 26-year study across China found sharp declines in wild matsutake harvests (Tricholoma matsutake), confirmed by nearly 95% of local foragers[19]. Climate change, forest density, and soil disturbance are the main culprits, threatening rural incomes and global supply chains.

Cordyceps & livestock health 🐖 Supplementing pregnant sows' diets with Cordyceps militaris mycelia improves litter size, piglet health, and maternal well-being[20].

Better veal 💗 Swapping 20% of veal with white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) or desert truffles (Tirmania pinoyi) creates healthier veal patties with more protein, better moisture, and less fat without sacrificing taste[21].

Mushroom beds boost growth 🌱 Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and enoki (Flammulina filiformis) growing beds emit natural gases that boost rice seedlings by up to 67% without soil contact[22].

Mushroom-based wound care 🧲 Researchers created a bioactive dressing from white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) that attracts bacteria into the dressing and eliminates over 95% of them using near-infrared light. It encourages collagen production, speeds up new blood vessel growth, and reduces inflammation in infected wound models[23].

Stay tuned for more mushroom magic!

• Fun facts 🎉 Did you know... Psilocybin-assisted therapy may improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including motor symptoms beyond mood changes? This suggests psilocybin could help manage motor symptoms of neurological diseases[10].

references:

[1] Chiao JY, Grob CS, Richards BD. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of ketamine administered with and without psilocybin in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2010;216:95–105. doi: 10.1007/s00213-010-1999-x

[2] Yamadera H, Ishii S, Shibata Y, Kubo A. Saitake mushroom fatty acid chain length analysis demonstrates role as a biofunctional food. Food Res Int. 2007 Dec;40(9):800-7. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2007.01.015. Epub 2007 Feb 23. PMID: 17329238.

[3] Dowd NA, Marsden CRD, Strominger JL, et al. Mushroom-Based Nanomaterials for Tumor Ablation and Drug Delivery. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2014;6(10):5408–5420. doi: 10.1021/am500270c

[4] Barrett AL, Winger MR. Flavonoids of Ganoderma spp., Clinical and experimental rheumatology: Cecoservices edition. 2019 Jan;37(1):57–65. doi: 10.1007/s10220-018-0223-0. Epub 2018 Jul 9. PMID: 29993030.

[5] Lin-Shiau SY, Huang YC, Huang RC, et al. Matsutake umbelopsis sp. TM01, an adaptive and novel deep-wood inducing factor, potentiates beneficial treatment effects on lesioned skin through fermented extracts (Umbelopsis fermentum extracts: UFE) by enhancing skin barrier function, cell immune responses, and tyrosinase inhibition. Journal of bioactive substances. 2021 Jun;6(1):5. doi: 10.1186/s41875-021-00004-w. Epub 2021 May 4. PMID: 33955002; PMCID: PMC8164026.

[6] Sone SM, Kipling L, Swift JM. Phase IIB/III inflammation and tissue repair clinical trial of GliSo® stiff tissue coating, a mycelium primary metabolite of Lentinula edodes, at wound debridement/surgical site infection in patients with chronic non-healing wounds. PLoS One. 2018;13(12):e0209971. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209971

[7] Lee KS, Burke MA, Kitts CD. Effect of ultraviolet-C radiation and heat on vitamin D2 production during mushroom cultivation. Molecules. 2020 Sep 10;25(18):4429. doi: 10.3390/molecules25184429. PMID: 33014549; PMCID: PMC7571324.

[8] Qian N, Cai Y, Li M, et al. Hericenones P and Erinacines A elicit peripheral myelination by activatingdag1 of CNC-type basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors in Schwann cells. EBioMedicine. 2021 Apr 22;74:106204. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.106204. PMID: 33886720; PMCID: PMC8034532.

[9] Johnson MP, Griffiths RR. The therapeutic potential of classic psychedelics for addiction: mechanisms, evidence, and therapy. Neuropharmacology. 2019 Aug;158:387-410. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.04.026. Epub 2019 Apr 24. PMID: 31020450.

[10] Carhart-Harris RL, Erritzoe D, Williams T, Murphy K, Lea P, Hochschild M, et al. The acute and sustained antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of psilocybin during major depression: A randomized controlled trial. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2016 Oct;41(10):2566-77. doi: 10.1038/npp.2016.188. Epub 2016 Jul 24. PMID: 27441995.

[11] Bogenschutz RP, Johnson MW, Wu A, Mercer AA, Bogenschutz M, Sandyk R, et al. Psilocybin treatment for chronic neuropathic pain: a pilot double-blind, randomized controlled study. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020 Jan;45(1):275-284. doi: 10.1038/s41386-019-0588-1. Epub 2019 Nov 18. PMID: 31736413.

[12] Gearty JD, Gosnell CA, Schaeffer HB, Etchason AV, Baskin ER, Sweeney KM, Goodrich AI, Pei L, Skelton J. Sex-depleted mice: increased gonadal and non-gonadal neuroendocrine responses to dietary caloric restriction and adaptation to a pure glucose diet. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. 2016 Nov;30(11):847-867. doi: 10.1111/jene.13116. Epub 2016 Sep 7. PMID: 27607959.

[13] Simmonds MN, Carhart-Harris RL. The therapeutic potential of psychedelic psychotherapy for substance and alcohol use disorders: Buried in stigma, but rich in opportunity. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2019;80(11):e13237. doi: 10.4088/JCP.19r13237

[14] Leclercq AM, Trondin P, Boutinet-Kochzeng Y, et al. From mycelium to biodegradable composite films: emigration and colonization of Pleurotus ostreatus mycelia in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) and polylactic acid foams. Carbohydrate Polym. 2018 Aug 1;198:566-576. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.04.030. Epub 2018 May 1. PMID: 29723338.

[15] Wehrmeister H, Nowka S, Sinzinger H-M, Blank N. White-rot fungi can degrade pharmaceuticals and personal care products in bioreactors. Water Research. 2016 Jan 15;91:116-129. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.09.031. Epub 2015 Oct 19. PMID: 26494066.

[16] Sadri, F., Kaplan, J., Bonachela, J., & Donkar, R. (2019). (2). Enzymes and Fungi in Plastic Degradation: From Landfills to Oceans. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 19(1), 44-71. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12383

[17] Eom, J. W., Ahn, S. W., Hong, B. S., & Lee, J. W. (2016). Methane production from mushroom-enriched anaerobic digestion of olive pit residues and its experimental validation. Bioresource Technology, 219, 738-743. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2016.09.036

[18] Bentur, O., Schneider-Anème, M., Rothschild, M., Weinberg-Toro, N., Rowińska-Zybińska, E., Avela-Garcia, L., Choong, Y., Buksa, R., & Stoker, M. (2008). Bioremediation of heavy oil hydrocarbons by a collection of basidiomycetes in the early phase of crude oil-contaminated soils. Environmental Pollution, 154(1), 35-42. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2007.09.015

[19] Cheng, H-G., Shi, G-M., Wu, L-M., Peng, Y, Jun, W, Liu, Y-Y., & Jiang, Z-Y. (2016). Phylogenetic analyses and population structures of Tricholoma matsutake (Agaricales, Tricholomataceae) populations from China using DNA barcoding markers and sequences of the internal transcribed spacers and large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA. Mycological Progress, 14(3), 217-222. doi:10.1007/s11557-015-0502-0

[20] Chung, Y. S., Kang, M. O., Pihlstrom, B., Cho, D. H., Choi, J. Y., Cho, Y. H., Lee, M. E., & Jeong, K. J. (2016). Effects of myceliated Cordyceps militaris on the expression of inflammatory and antioxidant genes in the piglet fetal liver during gestation. Food and Function, 7(10), 3544-3550. doi:10.1039/c6fo00602a

[21] Melgarejo, E., Navarro, E., Otoni, Y. M., Poggio, R. B., Prates-Neto, M. C., Mandarino, F. C., & Kurtz, E. P. (2018). Switching veal meat for culinary mushroom boosts nutritional and functional performances of veal patties. Food Chemistry, 256, 404-410. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.10.176

[22] Huang, Y-C, Chang, S-G., Lin, Y-P., Ko, L-S., & Chen, L-C. (2019). Impact of Shiitake, Enokitake and King Brown Growing Beds on Rice Performance. Agronomy, 9(4), 64-74. doi: 10.3390/agronomy9040064

[23] Wang, Y., Dowd, N. A., Wilhelm, J. M., Hergenrother, P. J., Clark, J. D., & Marsden, C. R. D. (2019). The impact of graphene additives on white rot fungal lignin degradation, dye adsorption, chemical oxygen demand (COD) mass removal, and the final physical properties of paper-based aerogels. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 7(6), 4521-4529. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b00507

1. Explore the fascinating world of nature's fungi, mushrooms, a vital part of science and health.
2. Maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa) can decrease fasting glucose by 17% in prediabetic mice, improving nutrition and metabolic health.
3. Straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) polysaccharides help decrease fat buildup, promoting gut health and heart health.
4. A wound dressing made from Agaricus bisporus stem aerogels eliminates over 95% of bacteria, demonstrating potential in medical-conditions and wound healing.
5. Ganoderma flavonoids offer antioxidant, antimicrobial, and blood sugar-lowering effects, benefiting neurological-disorders and skin-care.
6. Umbelopsis sp. TM01, discovered in Tricholoma matsutake, outperforms matsutake extracts in anti-wrinkle and skin-brightening effects, boosting beauty and fashion-and-beauty regimes.
7. Oyster mushroom mycelia (Pleurotus ostreatus) trigger repair signals, using oxygen molecules (ROS) and calcium, playing a crucial role in fungi wound recovery and resistance.
8. White button (Agaricus bisporus) and shiitake (Lentinula edodes) powders yield up to 14 times more vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light, providing a plant-based source of vitamin D and nutrition.
9. Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) supports brain function, encouraging nerve growth factor (NGF) production and reducing inflammation.
10. Psilocybin-assisted therapy significantly reduces alcohol and tobacco use across 16 studies, offering a viable addiction treatment.
11. Mystical experiences during psilocybin therapy emerge as powerful predictors of long-term success, indicating their significance in treating mental-health issues.
12. A small open-label trial found that 12 people with Parkinson's disease experienced reduced depression, anxiety, improved cognitive flexibility, and better motor function after two psilocybin doses.
13. Remarkably, psilocybin therapy could aid in managing motor symptoms of neurological diseases like Parkinson's.
14. A single 25 mg dose of psilocybin reduces phantom limb pain by 59% and residual limb pain nearly 80% in amputees, providing a promising pain management solution for chronic-diseases.
15. Psilocybin, when combined with a low-fat diet, helps obese mice lose weight more effectively, suggesting potential in weight-management.
16. Swinburne University will soon conduct the world's first clinical trial using IV-administered psilocin to treat binge eating disorder.
17. The PARTING trial is the first clinical study to investigate psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for prolonged grief disorder (PGD) following cancer loss.
18. Researchers have developed biodegradable packaging using the mycelium of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) as an eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastics.
19. White-rot fungi like turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) can effectively break down common pharmaceuticals, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, in water, addressing environmental-pollution.
20. Insect-killing fungi like Metarhizium and Beauveria form microsclerotia, dense survival structures that can withstand heat, UV, and drought, making them a powerful, chemical-free alternative for organic pest control in agriculture and industry.
21. White rot fungi such as the elm oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus), milk-white toothed polypore (Irpex lacteus), and rusty gilled polypore (Dichomitus squalens) increase methane production in agricultural waste by up to 2.15 times, potentially contributing to climate-change.
22. Two marine fungi, Aspergillus terreus and Alternaria alternata, break down nearly half the weight of plastic bag strips (LDPE) after 8 weeks, offering a solution for plastic-pollution in oceans.
23. Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) clean up petroleum-contaminated soil in Iraq, demonstrating their utility in environmental-cleanup.
24. A 26-year study across China found sharp declines in wild matsutake harvests (Tricholoma matsutake), threatened by climate change and forest disturbance, impacting rural incomes and global supply chains.
25. Supplementing pregnant sows' diets with Cordyceps militaris mycelia improves litter size, piglet health, and maternal well-being, enhancing livestock health and agriculture.
26. Swapping 20% of veal with white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) or desert truffles (Tirmania pinoyi) creates healthier veal patties, enriching food-and-drink and dietary choices.
27. Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and enoki (Flammulina filiformis) growing beds emit natural gases that boost rice seedlings by up to 67%, benefiting agriculture and home-and-garden practices.
28. Researchers created a bioactive dressing from white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) that attracts bacteria into the dressing and eliminates over 95% of them, aiding healthcare and wound healing.
29. In the realm of technology, mycelium is being used for biodegradable packaging, fostering sustainability and a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
30. Understanding the benefits of psilocybin for mental health, addiction, neurological diseases, and pain management, holds immense potential for mental-health, wellness, and psychotherapies-and-treatments.
31. Biodegradable, eco-friendly packaging has applications in business and retail, promoting sustainability and reducing waste in packaging-and-shipping.
32. The widespread impact of mushrooms and their extracts extends into various sectors, including medicine, nutrition, agriculture, and even space-and-astronomy, emphasizing the versatility and significance of fungi in our daily lives.

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