by Dr. Anand Titus and Geeta N. Pereira

The Bio-diverse Western Ghats forests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is renowned for its rich biodiversity, particularly in fungi. This region is a treasure trove of mushroom biodiversity, with numerous species documented and new ones continually being discovered. The Western Ghats is home to at least 51 species of edible wild mushrooms across 23 genera.

World-wide Mushroom Diversity

There are approximately 140,000 to 1.5 million species of mushrooms in the world, with only a small percentage of them currently known. The exact number of mushroom species is still uncertain, but estimates range from 14,000 to 22,000 known species. Additionally, there are around 3,500 edible mushroom species, with more yet to be identified. About 700 species have known medicinal properties, less than one per cent are recognized as poisonous, and only a select few are commercially grown on farms.

Ecosystem Roles

Mushrooms play an essential role in our ecosystems. They colonize dead or living organic substrata as saprotrophs, parasites, or mutualistic symbionts. They form symbiotic relationships with different biotic partners, sharing nutrients and water, which helps regulate the nutrient flow in the ecosystem.

Mushrooms And Health

The magic of mushrooms extends beyond their ecological role. They’ve been a source of sustenance and health for centuries. Since time immemorial mushrooms have been consumed not only as a source of food but also for medicinal purposes. Pharaohs ate mushrooms as a delicacy, Greeks believed them to be a source of divine strength and the Chinese treasured them for building endurance in their athletes. Described as nature’s Umbrella’s, mushrooms are a treasure trove of many vital nutrients, minerals and bioactive compounds which clearly build immunity and provide a host of health benefits. Mushrooms are also probiotic (Helps the body strengthen itself & fight off illness). The concept of Modern Medicine is based on Prophylactic measures which in simple terms means, prevention is better than cure. To this end, the proteins in edible mushrooms act as powerful immune boosters and disease fighters. Mushroom intake helps the body strengthen its defence system and fight off illness by maintaining a high level of antibodies and at times act as antibiotics. Senior citizens, especially men are likely to suffer from a drop in their blood selenium. Including mushrooms in their diet will take care of the deficiency. Selenium in mushrooms is very effective in inhibiting cancerous cells too.
The vitamin B complex, comprising of riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid is essential for the proper functioning of the digestive and nervous systems. A small serving of white mushrooms is enough to meet the body’s daily requirement. In addition mushrooms are known to regulate the blood pressure level and maintain the right balance of water in fat and muscle tissues. Moreover, the high lean protein content in mushrooms helps burn cholesterol when they are digested.
Even though, the role of mushrooms in food and medicine was known for thousands of years, it’s only off late that mushrooms are gaining popularity as a health food. Most edible mushrooms are low in calories and carbohydrates; provide essential amino acids, important vitamins and minerals including vitamin B, iron, potassium, selenium and zinc, and thereby, mushrooms bring a lot to the table.

Mushrooms and Immune systems

The medicinal benefits of mushrooms are significant, with 700 species documented for their pharmacological properties. These mushrooms are utilized in traditional medicine and modern pharmacology for various health benefits, including immune support and anti-inflammatory effects. Most of the research completed on the health benefits of mushrooms has focused on four types of medicinal mushrooms, namely Maitake, Shiitake, Crimini and Reishi. The Maitake and Shiitake types of mushrooms are commercially cultivated in North India, but are expensive.
For the common man, the good news is that the commonly available and affordable button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is known to fight off different types of cancer, lower cholesterol, fight off inflammatory diseases, and prevent chronic diseases due to the presence of powerful antioxidants like ergothioneine. Other naturally occurring biological compounds contribute towards antitumor property. The compounds present in mushrooms (polysaccharides and glycoprotein’s) activate a variety of host specific immune responses.
Maitake is known to prevent diabetes, enhance immunity, support cardiovascular health and inhibit few types of cancer. Shitake mushroom plays an active role in treating liver ailments, preventing heart disease and combating AIDS. Reishi mushroom is helpful in lowering the risk of Asthma. Crimini mushrooms play an important role in the prevention of fatigue and are specially known to inhibit breast cancer.
In the last two decades there has been a rise on the use of mushrooms as nutraceuticals and many edible species have been thoroughly investigated and authenticated for medicinal use. The rapid advancement in science and technology has helped scientists isolate the biologically active ingredients present in mushrooms that are responsible for their healing properties. Today modern medicine has clearly recognized the role of medicinal mushrooms in lowering the risk of cancer, promoting the immune function, ward off pathogenic strains of microorganisms, boost heart health, combat allergies, help balance blood sugar levels, detoxify the toxins produced in the body, enhance the oxygen flow to the blood vessels and help the brain retain a state of alertness.

Conclusion

The Western Ghats not only serves as a critical habitat for diverse mushroom species but also plays an essential role in supporting local cultures and ecosystems. Continued research and conservation efforts will be vital to preserve this unique fungal diversity for future generations. Secondly, the risk involved in collecting and eating poisonous mushrooms is life-threatening. Hence it is imperative that a proper scientific understanding of mushroom ecology is a must. People with expertise in mycology should attempt to collect mushrooms from the wild since some varieties are toxic. Lastly, Given the ecological significance and the potential threats from habitat loss and climate change, there is an urgent need for conservation efforts focused on these fungi. The conservation of mushroom germ plasm as a part of the conservation of the world’s biological diversity will also aid in finding better drugs to cure future diseases.

References

Anand T Pereira and Geeta N Pereira. 2009. Shade Grown Ecofriendly Indian Coffee. Volume-1.

Alexander M. 1977. Introduction to soil microbiology (2nd ed.). NewYork: John Wiley,

Anand Titus Pereira & Gowda. T.K.S. 1991. Occurrence and distribution of hydrogen dependent chemolithotrophic nitrogen fixing bacteria in the endorhizosphere of wetland rice varieties grown under different Agro climatic Regions of Karnataka. (Eds. Dutta. S. K. and Charles Sloger. U.S.A.) In Biological Nitrogen Fixation Associated with Rice production. Oxford and I.B.H. Publishing. Co. Pvt. Ltd. India.