Wild Mushrooms and Health by Semwal, Kamal Ch.; Stephenson, Steven L.; Husen, Azamal;

Short description:

This book provides an overview of wild medicinal mushrooms covering taxonomy, distribution, ethnomycology, ecology, and their potential medicinal uses. It will be helpful in establishing reports on wild mushrooms species and their potential uses in new drug discovery and bioactive molecules.

Long description:

Medicinal mushrooms have been used since ancient times. Certain mushrooms can be used to treat numerous conditions, including those related to cardiovascular health, obesity, cholesterol balance, bone health, diabetes, and cancer. Wild Mushrooms and Health: Diversity, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Benefits, and Cultivation presents reports on numerous species of wild medicinal mushrooms with discussion of drug-discovery implications, analysis of bioactive substances, and prospects for cultivation.

FEATURES

• Comprehensive review of medicinal mushrooms as sources of promising bioactive molecules and prospective compounds for drug discovery


• Information on diversity, distribution, ethnomycology, ecology, cultivation, descriptions of specific species, and folk medicinal uses of mushrooms throughout the world


• Emphasis on identification, documentation, bioactive substances, and the nature of mushroom bioactivity


• Discussion of the nutraceutical properties of wild mushrooms, including high protein content comparable to that of meat, and low fat content, which make them a complete dietary food source


• Exploration of methods used in the collection, identification, documentation, cultivation, analysis, and conservation of mushrooms for drug discovery

An installment in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, this volume is a comprehensive resource for medical researchers, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies. In addition, this resource is appropriate for mycologists and botanists interested in pharmacognosy.

Table of Contents:

Biodiversity of Medicinal Mushrooms of India and Preliminary Screening for Bioactive Molecules. Distribution, Ecology and Taxonomy of Medicinal Mushrooms. Bioactive Profile of Xylaria of Southwest India. Ethnomycology, Bioprospection and Uses of Mushrooms in Costa Rica. Medicinal Mushrooms of Kerala State, India: Diversity and Systematics, India. Growing Your Own Effective Medicines - Cultivation of Medicinal Mushrooms and Fungi. Amanita: Toxicity, Edibility, Diversity, and Phytochemistry. Ethnomycology: Diversity and Utilization of Medicinal Mushrooms in the Philippines. Medicinal Mushrooms – Citizens’ Perspective in Himalaya. Diversity of Macrofungi in North East India with Special Reference to Medicinal Macrofungi. Wild Medicinal Mushrooms of Northwest Himalayas of Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh: Their Traditional and Modern Applications. Taxonomy, Diversity, Ecology, Ethnomycology, Medicinal Aspects, Biotechnology, and Phytochemistry of Sri Lankan Mushrooms. Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ethnomycological Knowledge of Calostoma Spp. (Calostomataceae) from Northern Borneo, Malaysia. Diversity, Distribution and Ecology of Wild/Medicinal Mushrooms in Bangladesh. Current Apprises on Medicinal Properties of Some Wild Mushrooms. Diversity and Ecology of Wild Mushrooms in Ethiopia. Mushroom- Biotechnology: Recent Trends and Applications. Use of Mushrooms in Traditional Medicine in China. Taxonomy, Diversity, Mycochemical and Medicinal Aspects of Wood Decay Fungi from Andhra Pradesh's Eastern Ghats Region of India. Hidden Treasure of Himalayan Forests: Mushrooms with Curative Potential. Some Uncommon Traditionally Important Mushrooms of Uttarakhand, India.