Aqueous Extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus and Hericium erinaceus Protect against Ultraviolet A-Induced Damage in Human Dermal Fibroblasts.

Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) and Hericium erinaceus (HE) have been traditionally used to treat various diseases, owing to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and antitumor effects. However, few studies have been reported on their antiaging effects. In this study, the antioxidant and antiaging activities of PO and HE aqueous extracts were investigated in ultraviolet A (UVA)-induced human dermal fibroblast cells (HDFs). The antioxidant properties of PO and HE aqueous extracts were measured by total polyphenol and ergothioneine content, and their antioxidant activity was analyzed with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical-scavenging assays. To demonstrate the antiaging effect of PO and HE aqueous extracts in UVA-induced HDFs, the secretion and mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), procollagen type I (PC1), and elastase were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time PCR, respectively. The total polyphenol content in each extract was 13.6 and 11.7 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight (DW), respectively, and the total ergothioneine content in each extract was 3.43 and 2.18 mg/g DW, respectively. The PO and HE extracts increased DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner. In UVA-damaged HDFs, the extracts increased PC1 production but decreased MMP-1 production and elastase-1 activity. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of PC1, MMP-1, and elastase were recovered in the PO- and HE-treated UVA-irradiated HDFs compared to those in the irradiated control group. PO and HE aqueous extracts may be potentially used as a promising antiphotoaging agent.

Health consequences of improving the content of ergothioneine in the food supply.

Ergothioneine (ERGO) is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory amino acid that is highly bioavailable to humans from the diet. ERGO is now regarded by some as a 'longevity vitamin' that has the potential to mitigate some chronic diseases of ageing and thereby increase life expectancy when present in adequate amounts. However, only limited knowledge exists regarding ERGO content in the human diet. Since ERGO is produced primarily by fungi, mushrooms are known to be the leading dietary source, but ERGO is found in relatively low amounts throughout the food chain as a result of soil-borne fungi or bacteria passing it on to plants through their roots. Some conventional agricultural practices that negatively impact soil fungi, such as excessive soil disturbance (ploughing), can significantly reduce ERGO content of food crops when compared to regenerative practices such as eliminating tillage of the soil (no-till). This has led us to the concept that ERGO may be a definitive connection between soil health and human health.

Is ergothioneine a 'longevity vitamin' limited in the American diet?

There is mounting evidence for the potential for the natural dietary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory amino acid l-Ergothioneine (ERGO) to prevent or mitigate chronic diseases of aging. This has led to the suggestion that it could be considered a 'longevity vitamin.' ERGO is produced in nature only by certain fungi and a few other microbes. Mushrooms are, by far, the leading dietary source of ERGO, but it is found in small amounts throughout the food chain, most likely due to soil-borne fungi passing it on to plants. Because some common agricultural practices can disrupt beneficial fungus-plant root relationships, ERGO levels in foods grown under those conditions could be compromised. Thus, research is needed to further analyse the role agricultural practices play in the availability of ERGO in the human diet and its potential to improve our long-term health.

Mushrooms: A rich source of the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione.

While mushrooms are the highest dietary source for the unique sulfur-containing antioxidant ergothioneine, little is known regarding levels of the major biological antioxidant glutathione. Thus, our objectives were to determine and compare levels of glutathione, as well as ergothioneine, in different species of mushrooms. Glutathione levels varied >20-fold (0.11-2.41mg/gdw) with some varieties having higher levels than reported for other foods. Ergothioneine levels also varied widely (0.15-7.27mg/gdw) and were highly correlated with those of glutathione (r=0.62, P<0.001). Both antioxidants were more concentrated in pileus than stipe tissues in selected mushrooms species. Agaricus bisporus harvested during the third cropping flush contained higher levels of ergothioneine and glutathione compared to the first flush, possibly as a response to increased oxidative stress. This study demonstrated that certain mushroom species are high in glutathione and ergothioneine and should be considered an excellent dietary source of these important antioxidants.

A Retrospective Study in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome: Diabetic Risk Factor Response to Daily Consumption of Agaricus bisporus (White Button Mushrooms).

Adults with metabolic syndrome from different race/ethnicities are often predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, growing evidence suggests that healthy diets and lifestyle choices can significantly slow or prevent progression to T2D. This poorly understood relationship to healthy dietary patterns and prevention of T2D motivated us to conduct a retrospective analysis to determine the potential impact of a minor dietary lifestyle change (daily mushroom consumption) on known T2D risk factors in racially diverse adults with confirmed features of the metabolic syndrome. Retrospectively, we studied 37 subjects who had participated in a dietary intervention focused on vitamin D bioavailability from white button mushrooms (WBM). All 37 had previously completed a 16-week study where they consumed 100 g of WBM daily and were then followed-up for one month during which no mushrooms were consumed. We analyzed differences in serum risk factors from baseline to 16-week, and from baseline to one-month follow-up. Measurement of serum diabetic risk factors included inflammatory and oxidative stress markers and the antioxidant component naturally rich in mushrooms, ergothioneine. Significant beneficial health effects were observed at 16-week with the doubling of ergothioneine from baseline, increases in the antioxidant marker ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) and anti-inflammatory hormone, adiponectin and significant decreases in serum oxidative stress inducing factors, carboxymethyllysine (CML) and methylglyoxal (MG), but no change in the lipid oxidative stress marker 8-isoprostane, leptin or measures of insulin resistance or glucose metabolism. We conclude that WBM contain a variety of compounds with potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant health benefits that can occur with frequent consumption over time in adults predisposed to T2D. Well-controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings and identify the specific mushroom components beneficial to health.

Generation of potentially bioactive ergosterol-derived products following pulsed ultraviolet light exposure of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus).

The production of vitamin D(2) from ergosterol in mushrooms upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has been well established in recent years. However, the effect of this treatment on the generation of non-vitamin D(2) products of ergosterol in mushrooms has not been reported. In this study, the ergosterol-derived photoproducts previtamin D(2), lumisterol(2) and tachysterol(2) were, for the first time, identified and quantified in white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) following treatment with pulsed UV (PUV) light. Mushrooms were treated with up to 60pulses of PUV irradiation and the formation of major photoproducts was observed to increase as a function of dose. Vitamin D(2) was the most abundant product, followed by previtamin D(2), lumisterol(2) and tachysterol(2) in order of decreasing abundance. Untreated mushroom samples were not observed to contain detectable levels of any photoproduct. This study shows for the first time the production of these photoproducts in UV irradiated mushrooms. A complete understanding of the potential biological significance of these products remains to be seen.

Effects of postharvest pulsed UV light treatment of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) on vitamin D2 content and quality attributes.

Pulsed UV light (PUV) was investigated as a means to rapidly increase vitamin D(2) (D(2)) content in fresh button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). D(2) was found to increase to over 100% RDA/serving following 3 pulses (1 s). Following 12 pulses, D(2) began to approach a maximum concentration of 27 µg/g DW. The D(2) produced with 3 pulses decreased from 11.9 to 9.05 µg/g DW after 3 days of storage; however, D(2) levels remained nearly constant after this point throughout an 11-day shelf life study. PUV treated sliced mushrooms produced significantly more D(2) than whole mushrooms, and it was also observed that brown buttons generated significantly less D(2) than white buttons. Several quality attributes were assessed, and no significant differences between control and PUV treated mushrooms were observed. These findings suggest that PUV treatment is a viable method for rapidly increasing the D(2) content of fresh mushrooms without adversely affecting quality parameters.