Fungi for Human Health: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

Fungi have been used for food and medicine since ancient times, and current research explores their use in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals to overcome the side effects of synthetic drugs. This book highlights the use value of macrofungi in human health, with Basidiomycota and Ascomycota being the most important macrofungal taxa. It provides information on the ethnomycological significance of macrofungi, their nutritional composition, and bioactive compounds, as well as their pharmacological activities. It also cites commercially available nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products of macrofungal origin.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 113 pages
Publication date: 08 October 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

The current research focuses on investigating natural products derived from fungi for use in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, with the aim of mitigating the adverse effects associated with synthetic drugs. Fungi have held a prominent position as valuable sources of food and medicinal importance since ancient times. Numerous fungal species have been consumed as food and utilized in folk medicine to treat various human ailments, as documented in traditional medical literature. However, there is limited information available regarding the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical significance of fungi, which warrants an extensive review. This book aims to shed light on the utilization value of macrofungi in human health. Macrofungi with health-promoting properties are predominantly found in the Basidiomycota and Ascomycota groups, which are cultivated indoors (cultivated) and outdoors (wild). Our objective was to highlight the benefits of macrofungi in relation to their food and medicinal significance in human life. We provided insights into the ethnomycological significance of macrofungi with respect to their uses as food and medicine by different populations around the world. This book emphasizes the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds present in macrofungi. Additionally, we focused on the pharmacological activities of macrofungi, contributing to their medicinal value against various human disorders. We cited numerous commercially available nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products derived from macrofungi. We hope that this work will serve as a fundamental reference for the general public, mycologists, researchers, and industry professionals interested in the consumption, research, and marketing of macrofungi.

Weight: 209g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030587581
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020