Mushroom Extracts: The Importance of Lab Testing
Mushrooms are gaining popularity as an ingredient in daily supplements, vitamins, and nutraceuticals. Some people are now substituting their morning coffee with mushrooms. Health enthusiasts even blend dried mushroom powder in hot water, add it to soup or smoothies, or use it as a protein powder.
The market for functional mushrooms has been valued at $25 million in 2020 and is forecasted to increase to $34.3 million in 2024. Products infused with mushroom extracts are becoming commonplace in self-care and sustainability.
Due to this increase in mushroom products, the need for lab testing also rises so producers can verify the active compounds of each ingredient in the mushroom products or extracts.
Mushrooms Commonly Used As Supplements
Mushroom powders and extracts have long been used in the culinary sciences and traditional medicine. In recent decades, mushroom products gained popularity in various food and supplement products. Five of the most popular mushroom varieties include Rishi, Chaga, Lion's Mane, Turkey Tail, and Cordyceps. Each of these fungi possesses very interesting and unique characteristics and has ignited scientists to study their active compounds and potential benefits.
Reishi
Ganoderma lucidum is a large, dark mushroom that has been used for over 2000 years in Asian countries. It is more commonly known as Lingzhi in China and Reishi in Japan. Its name came from the word "lucidus" which means shiny in Latin referring to its glossy and woody exterior.
The ancient Chinese believes Lingzhi to be the herb of spiritual potency, symbolizing success, divine power, longevity, and well-being. South Chinese people favor the cultivation of black Lingzhi while Japanese natives prefer the red variety. In nature, it thrives in hot, humid conditions, but the cultivation of G. lucidum using grain, sawdust, and cork residues has been the major source of the mushroom since the 1970s (Wachtel-Galor, 2011).
- lucidum contains three major physiologically active molecules: triterpenes, peptidoglycans, and polysaccharides; but the amount and percentage of each biomolecule vary between natural and commercial Ganoderma. Further, the species and strains of the mushroom used in production may result in almost negligible amounts of these bioactive molecules (Boh et al., 2007; Zhou et al., 2007)
As of the early 2000s, more than 90 brands of products containing G. lucidum were registered and marketed internationally. The market for Reishi continues to grow with the increase in worldwide consumption (Wachtel-Galor, 2011).
Chaga
Inonotus obliqus is a parasitic fungus on birch trees that produces the appearance of burnt charcoal. It is also known as Chaga and commonly grows in birch forests of the Northern Hemisphere throughout Russia, Northern Europe, Northern US, and Canada. Its name came from the Russian word for fungus, czaga (Escolar, 2017).
In the mountain regions of Siberia, the natives drank Chaga tea, inhaled it, or used it as an ointment. The use of Chaga eventually spread to the other western mountains and to the Baltic regions of Eastern Europe.
Three types of metabolites are always reported in Chaga mushrooms. They are betulin, betulinic acid, and inotodiol. These metabolites are currently being studied for their cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines (Gery et al., 2018).
Chaga fungus also grows on other types of trees — alder, oak, and poplar — although its appearance changes depending on the host tree. Attempts to cultivate this fungus in artificial media (potato dextrose agar) resulted in reduced production of the mushroom's beneficial metabolites (Zheng et al., 2010).
Lion's Mane
The Lion's Mane mushroom, Hericium erinaceus, is an edible mushroom with several uses in traditional eastern medicine. It's also used in culinary science as a specialty mushroom along with shiitake and oyster mushrooms. In China, Lion's Mane has been listed as one of the four famous cuisines alongside bear's paws, trepang, and shark's fin. It is also used in mushroom wine and vinegar fermentation (Friedman, 2015).
Lion's mane is native to North America, Europe, and Asia and is characterized by its long white spines and beard-like appearance. In nature, the mushroom gains nutrients from decaying wood, but it can also grow through artificial cultivation by absorbing minerals from media, including heavy metals (Jiang, 2014).
Researchers are studying the health-promoting properties of Lion's Mane's secondary metabolites: erinacines, hericerins, hericenones, resorcinols, steroids, and mono- and diterpenes (Friedman, 2015).
Turkey Tail
Trametes versicolor or Turkey Tail is a cosmopolitan mushroom with a brown and tan exterior that resembles a turkey's feather — hence the name. It was traditionally used in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine. Now, it is cultivated in Japan to harness polysaccharide K (PSK), one of the mushroom's active compounds.
Other extracts and biochemicals of the Turkey Tail mushrooms are explored as food products, additives, and medicinal foods.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps sinensis or simply Cordyceps is a saprobe that grows on insect larvae. Known as Dongchongxiacao (winter-worm summer grass) in ancient China, it is one of the most famous herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. It had been used as a remedy for more than 300 years and is known for its sweet taste.
Over-exploration and restriction of habitat affect the natural growth of C. sinensis. Based on a 2007 survey, the natural yield of C. sinensis decreased by 90% in the past 25 years. As such, its price rocketed and several natural substitutes have emerged in the market since then.
Why You Should Test Your Mushroom Supplements
The increase in the demand for mushroom supplements piques consumers' interest in their potential health benefits. As such, careful lab testing to verify mushroom supplements' health benefits is necessary to ensure your products' integrity and to avoid false claims.
Our network of ISO 17025 accredited laboratories provide comprehensive testing to support manufacturers who are developing mushroom-based products and supplements. Through our comprehensive testing technology, we'll:
- Verify your raw materials.
- Ensure the purity of your products from potential chemical or physical contaminants.
- Verify safety with pathogen screening.
- Help you mitigate risk with environmental monitoring.
Ensure the quality of your mushroom supplements with us!
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