Product Overview - Medicinal Mushrooms

However, the protein-bound polysaccharides called peptidomannans have shown significant health benefit when taken orally.

“PS-K” (polysaccharide Kureha) is derived from Coriolus versicolor, a relative of Ganoderma lucidum. In Japan, PS-K is used in cancer therapy to prolong life by suppressing both the advent and the spread of tumor cells. On a regimen of PS-K, the immune system becomes activated to destroy foreign cells, even when it is taken orally. Unfortunately, a recent price for PS-K was over US$2,000 per kilogram at the wholesale level, making it inappropriate as a natural food ingredient/additive.

Another medicinal mushroom polysaccharide “lentinan” is derived from Lentinula edodes. In Japan, lentinan is used to prolong the life of cancer patients. Like PS-K, sometimes complete remissions from cancer are reported by physicians. Unlike PS-K, lentinan is most effective when taken by intravenous injection.

Lentinan has been effective (intravenous and oral doses) against “Low Natural Killer Syndrome” or LNKS, a disease in Japan recognized in the U.S.A. as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. One study resulted in curing patients with long-term LNKS in a matter of months. Pure lentinan is still not readily available, and it’s price is even higher than that of PS-K.

Rather than waiting for the pileus to develop, scientists have learned that the mycelium is an efficient, clean and controllable source of basidiomycete polysaccharides and peptidomannans (protein-bound polysaccharides). For instance, PS-K is derived from Coriolus versicolor mycelium.

Water extracts of lentinula edodes Mycelium "L.E.M." have been used for many years in Japan for their immune system potentiation effects. Human studies with hepatitis B found that the extract aided recovery. More recent studies with HIV-infected hemophiliacs found that 9 grams of the extract daily, relieved yeast infections (candidiasis) with AIDS-related symptoms improved, and immune cell activity greatly enhanced.

In L.E.M., polysaccharides are involved, but only partly. lentinula edodes mycelium enzymatically degrades the lignins in its growing media and alters their form. The lignins in L.E.M., called EP3, not only activate the immune system, but also have been shown to have direct antiviral activity.

Although a number of polysaccharide fractions have shown anti-tumor activity in laboratory animals when administered by injection, one fraction showed significant activity when administered orally. It is called MT-1, or simply the "D-fraction", an alkali-soluble, hot water extractable compound that contains approximately 30% protein, or a ratio of beta-glucan to protein of 70:3. It occurs in a concentration of .04 mg. per gram of dried Maitake mushrooms.

The optimum dose in animal experiments performed by Dr. Hiroki Namba of Japan appears to be 25 mg./kg of body weight. The activity of the "D" fraction corresponds to other scientific evidence that would indicate the relatively higher oral activity of mushroom extract fractions when the polysaccharides are protein-bound. Like the other mushrooms, Maitake's action is that of an HDP ("Host Defense Potentiator"). Other activities that have been reported by scientists are the lowering of blood pressure, total cholesterol and blood sugar concentrations.