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Published Online: 1 January 2017

Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms: Emerging Brain Food for the Mitigation of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Publication: Journal of Medicinal Food
Volume 20, Issue Number 1

Abstract

There is an exponential increase in dementia in old age at a global level because of increasing life expectancy. The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) will continue to rise steadily, and is expected to reach 42 million cases worldwide in 2020. Despite the advancement of medication, the management of these diseases remains largely ineffective. Therefore, it is vital to explore novel nature-based nutraceuticals to mitigate AD and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Mushrooms and their extracts appear to hold many health benefits, including immune-modulating effects. A number of edible mushrooms have been shown to contain rare and exotic compounds that exhibit positive effects on brain cells both in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we summarize the scientific information on edible and culinary mushrooms with regard to their antidementia/AD active compounds and/or pharmacological test results. The bioactive components in these mushrooms and the underlying mechanism of their activities are discussed. In short, these mushrooms may be regarded as functional foods for the mitigation of neurodegenerative diseases.

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cover image Journal of Medicinal Food
Journal of Medicinal Food
Volume 20Issue Number 1January 2017
Pages: 1 - 10
PubMed: 28098514

History

Published in print: January 2017
Published online: 1 January 2017
Accepted: 16 November 2016
Received: 3 May 2016

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Chia-Wei Phan
Mushroom Research Centre, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pamela David
Mushroom Research Centre, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Vikineswary Sabaratnam
Mushroom Research Centre, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Notes

Address correspondence to: Vikineswary Sabaratnam, PhD, Mushroom Research Centre, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, E-mail: [email protected]

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No competing financial interests exist.

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