Mushrooms as Functional Foods is a compendium of current research on the chemistry and biology, nutritional and medicinal value, and the use of mushrooms in the modern functional foods industry.

Features:

• Reviews trends in mushroom use and research, with extensive information on emerging species
• Includes coverage of cultivation, physiology, and genetics
• Highlights applications in functional foods and medicinal use
• Covers worldwide regulations and safety issues of mushrooms in functional foods and dietary supplements
• Discusses the classification, identification, and commercial collection of newly cultivated mushroom species
• Features a color insert with photographs of different types of mushrooms

Contents

1. An Overview of Mushroom Cultivation and Utilization as Functional Foods

• What Are Mushrooms?
• Definition of a Mushroom
• The Concept of Mushroom Biology and Applied Mushroom Biology
• Mushroom Cultivation
• World Mushroom Production
• Mushroom Biotechnology
• Development of World Mushroom Industry Movements

2. Molecular Analysis & Genomic Studies of the Shiitake Mushroom Lentinula edodes

• Isolation of Genes
• Molecular Genetics
• Functional Genomic Approaches for Gene Expression Analysis
• Transcriptional Regulation
• Transformation
• Process Analysis

3. Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Mushrooms

• Wild and Cultivated Edible Mushrooms
• Production of Cultivated Mushrooms
• Nutritional Composition
• Newly Cultivated/Nonconventional Mushrooms
• Nutritional Evaluation
• Health Benefits of Edible Mushrooms

4. Sclerotia: An Emerging Functional Food Derived from Mushrooms

• Concepts of Mushroom sclerotia
• Ontogeny of Sclerotia
• Structure of Sclerotia
• Cultivation of Mushroom Sclerotia
• Biochemical, Nutritional, and Technological Characteristics of Mushroom Sclerotia
• Biopharmacological Values of Mushroom Sclerotia of P. tuber-regium, P. rhinoceros, and W. cocos

5. Antitumor and Immunomodulatory Activities of Mushroom Polysaccharides

• Antitumor Polysaccharides from Mushrooms (Higher Fungi)
• Mechanisms of Antitumor Action of Mushroom Polysaccharides
• Structure and Antitumor Activity Relationship of Polysaccharides

6. Regulatory Issues of Mushrooms as Functional Foods and Dietary Supplements: Safety and Efficacy

• Legal and Regulatory Issues of Introducing and Controlling Dietary Supplements from Medicinal Mushrooms in Different Countries
• Safety and Diversity of Dietary Supplement Types from Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms
• Submerged Culturing as the Best Technique for Obtaining Consistent and Safe Mushroom Products
• Experiences of Seven Countries in Consolidating Their Food Safety System

Index

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