Book of Abstracts (PDF) - International Mycological Association

IMC7 Tuesday August 13th Lectures
glucans. β-(1->3) linkages in the main chain of the glucan
and further β-(1->6) branch points are needed for their
antitumor action. Most of the antitumor clinical evidence is
from commercial polysaccharides lentinan, PSK (krestin),
and schizophyllan. Mushroom polysaccharides prevent
oncogenesis, show direct antitumor activity against various
allogeneic and syngeneic tumors, and prevent tumor
metastasis. Cultivation and development of edible and
medicinal mushrooms can positively generate equitable
economic growth that had already an impact at national and
regional levels. This impact is expected to continue
increasing and expanding in the 21st century Therefore,
sustainable research and development of mushroom
production and mushroom product can become a "nongreen
revolution" (Chang, 1999).
164 - Beneficial effects of edible mushrooms in Japan
T. Ikekawa
Japanese Association for Integrative Medicine(JAIM),
Sanshin Bldg 2-15-14, Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-
0047, Japan. - E-mail: info@asahimedical.net
The aqueous extracts of edible mushrooms showed so high
growth-inhibitory activity aganist solid sarcoma 180.
Among many antitumor polysaccharides, a glucan from
Lentinus edodes was used clinically as an injection of a
narrow adaptation in Japan. However, substances having
the antitumor activity by p.o. were a low molecular weight
protein- bound polysaccharide from one of the most
popular edible mushrooms, Flammulina velutipes. An
epidemiological study in Nagano Prefecture, Japan
indicated that the cancer death-rate of farmers producing F.
velutipes as a main occupation was remarkably lower than
that of common people in the Prefecture. Another edible
mushroom, Hypsizygus marmoreus had also high antitumor
activity and preventive effect for tumor metastasis. Cancer
preventive effect of the mushroom was proved by
comparison of carcinogenesis between mice bred with an
feed containing the dried fruitbodies and mice bred with an
ordinary feed. The mechanism of cancer inhibitory and
preventive activities of edible mushrooms was due to
immunopotentiation and antioxidant activity. Thus, the
intake of mushrooms proved to be effective in cancer
prevention and growth-inhibition. Based on these results,
EEM (Extracts of Edible Mushrooms), a suppliment was
proved to have a clinical effectiveness. It has been said in
traditional Oriental medicine from the ancient times that
Medicine and Food have the same origin. This is identical
with our conclusion from mushroom-studies.
165 - Identification of species and strains of medicinal
mushrooms using repetitive elements
A.S.M. Sonnenberg * , J.J.P. Baars & P.M. Hendrickx
Applied Plant Research, P.O. Box 6042 5960 AA, Horst,
The Netherlands. – E-mail:
A.S.M.Sonnenberg@PPO.DLO.NL
A comparison of a previously isolated retrotransposon of
the gypsy-family from the white button mushroom
Agaricus bisporus with published retrotransposons of the
matsutake mushroom (Tricholoma) showed a high
similarity in translated sequence of the reverse transcriptase
gene. Based on conserved sequences degenerate primers
were designed and used to amplify similar sequences in a
number of gilled mushrooms that are known for their
medicinal potentials. From strains of species examined
(Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus subrufescens, A. blazei,
Stropharia rugoso-anulata, Ganoderma lucidum),
fragments were amplified with the expected length.
Sequence analyses showed that all fragments indeed
represented the relevant part of the reverse transcriptase
gene of retrotransposons. Southern analyses showed that
most clones hybridized only to the DNA of the species
from which the clone was isolated, thus provide speciesspecific
probes. Transposons were subsequently used to
study relationships between strains within a species. Using
transposon-tagging to map individual transposon copies,
phenograms were constructed of a collection of wild strains
of A. bisporus. The relationships found within this
collection agree with previously constructed phenograms
using mitochondrial DNA and RFLP markers. This study
shows that retrotransposons are, in principle, useful to
identify mushroom species and individual strains within
species.
166 - Standard methods for the determination of
immunomodulatory properties of medicinal
mushrooms
L.J.L.D. Van Griensven 1* , H.F.J. Savelkoul 2 & D.E.A.
Florack 1
1 Plant Research International, POB 16, 6700 AA
Wageningen, The Netherlands. - 2 Immunology & Cell
Biology, Dept. Animal Sciences, Wageningen UR, The
Netherlands. - E-mail: l.j.l.d.vangriensven@plant.wagur.nl
A variety of edible fungi have been used in the past
hundreds of years to prevent or cure a variety of diseases,
e.g. various malignancies, infectious diseases,
cardiovasculair diseases, hypertension and even stomach
ache after serious drinking. Many serious studies were
carried out mostly in China and Japan into the effects of
mushroom derived polysaccharides, i.e. beta-glucans. on
solid tumor growth. Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinus edodes,
Pleurotus spp. and many others have been described as
potentially anti-tumorigenic based on changes of in vivo or
in vitro transplantability of laboratory tumor cell lines in
mice. In recent years studies have been carried out into
immunomodulation as the basic mechanism behind those
anti-tumor effects. However, comparison of the outcome of
the different experiments is almost impossible 1. due to
inadequate identification procedures of the fungal species
and strains used and 2. due to different methods of
measuring immune activity. The present contribution aims
to internationally standardize methods employed 1. in
isolation and characterization of fungal beta-glucans, 2.
measuring modulation of both innate and adaptive mouse
Book of Abstracts 53