Osteoporosis Support- In the current study, we have examined whether modified oak mushrooms could improve or prevent osteoporosis-like symptoms in mice fed with low calcium and vitamin D₃-deficient diet.

The two main sources of vitamin D₃ are de novo synthesis induced by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, and diet. Vitamin D₃ deficiency causes rickets or osteoporosis.

Oak mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) that are exposed to UV radiation contain enhanced vitamin D₂ and have much higher calcium content than unmodified (non-irradiated) mushrooms.

These results indicate that in mice, vitamin D₂ and/or calcium derived from irradiated oak mushrooms may improve bone mineralization through a direct effect on the bone, and by inducing the expression of calcium-absorbing genes in the duodenum and kidney.

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Apoptosis - In this study, potential roles of an ethyl acetate fraction from shiitake mushrooms were investigated by in vitro bioassays.

Concentration-dependent antiproliferative effects of the fraction were observed in all cell lines using the MTT assay. Approximately 50 mg/L concentration of the fraction induced apoptosis in 50% of the population of four human tumor cell lines and the fraction-induced apoptosis may have been mediated through the pro-apoptotic bax protein which was up-regulated.

These data suggest that inhibition of growth in tumor cells by "mycochemicals" in shiitake mushrooms may result from induction of apoptosis.

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Anti-Cancer - In this study they determined whether supplemental amounts of a polysaccharide/oligosaccharide complex obtained from a shiitake mushroom extract (SME) would lower the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level in patients with prostate cancer.

The endpoint for the trial was the lowering of the PSA levels.

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Anti-tumor activity of mushroom fruit bodies and mycelial extracts evaluated using different cancer cell lines. These polysaccharide extracts showed potent antitumor activity against sarcoma 180, mammary adenocarcinoma 755, leukemia L-1210 and a host of other tumors. The antitumor activity was mainly due to indirect host mediated immunotherapeutic effect.

These studies are still in progress in many laboratories and the