The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy

The importance of functional food’s role in human nutrition as well as in the prevention of diseases, especially the treatment of chronic diseases like cancer, is an innovative field of research. Based on the studies regarding the antioxidant potential of oyster mushroom extract, it is evident that...

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Main Authors: Priya Lakshmi Sreedharan, Malu Kishorkumar, Elke Gabriel Neumann, Shyam S. Kurup
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/1/128
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author Priya Lakshmi Sreedharan
Malu Kishorkumar
Elke Gabriel Neumann
Shyam S. Kurup
author_facet Priya Lakshmi Sreedharan
Malu Kishorkumar
Elke Gabriel Neumann
Shyam S. Kurup
author_sort Priya Lakshmi Sreedharan
collection DOAJ
description The importance of functional food’s role in human nutrition as well as in the prevention of diseases, especially the treatment of chronic diseases like cancer, is an innovative field of research. Based on the studies regarding the antioxidant potential of oyster mushroom extract, it is evident that it has anticancer properties. The current article reviews the health benefits of edible oyster-mushroom-derived bioactive compounds, and how they specifically activate or regulate the immune system by affecting the maturation, differentiation, and proliferation of immune cells, thereby inhibiting cancer cell metastasis and growth. Mushrooms show anticancer potential by regulating a single molecule of a specific signaling pathway or by having multiple targets in the same or different signaling pathways. In addition, the prebiotic effects of mushrooms could enhance quality of life during and after cancer therapy by recovering the intestinal microbiota. More clinical research on oyster mushrooms needs to be conducted, and future studies should investigate the preventive aspects, which aid in reducing the rate of cancer occurrence, and the positive impact in cancer patients to prove that oyster mushrooms are preventive as a functional food as well as a curing dietary supplement for cancer patients.
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spelling doaj-art-c656389f82d34e2aa614b5a8c9c14e282025-01-10T13:17:52ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-01-0114112810.3390/foods14010128The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer TherapyPriya Lakshmi Sreedharan0Malu Kishorkumar1Elke Gabriel Neumann2Shyam S. Kurup3Integrative Agriculture Department, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, UAE University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesIntegrative Agriculture Department, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, UAE University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesIntegrative Agriculture Department, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, UAE University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesIntegrative Agriculture Department, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, UAE University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesThe importance of functional food’s role in human nutrition as well as in the prevention of diseases, especially the treatment of chronic diseases like cancer, is an innovative field of research. Based on the studies regarding the antioxidant potential of oyster mushroom extract, it is evident that it has anticancer properties. The current article reviews the health benefits of edible oyster-mushroom-derived bioactive compounds, and how they specifically activate or regulate the immune system by affecting the maturation, differentiation, and proliferation of immune cells, thereby inhibiting cancer cell metastasis and growth. Mushrooms show anticancer potential by regulating a single molecule of a specific signaling pathway or by having multiple targets in the same or different signaling pathways. In addition, the prebiotic effects of mushrooms could enhance quality of life during and after cancer therapy by recovering the intestinal microbiota. More clinical research on oyster mushrooms needs to be conducted, and future studies should investigate the preventive aspects, which aid in reducing the rate of cancer occurrence, and the positive impact in cancer patients to prove that oyster mushrooms are preventive as a functional food as well as a curing dietary supplement for cancer patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/1/128bioactive compoundsnatural antioxidantsfunctional foodsnutraceuticalsedible mushrooms
spellingShingle Priya Lakshmi Sreedharan
Malu Kishorkumar
Elke Gabriel Neumann
Shyam S. Kurup
The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy
Foods
bioactive compounds
natural antioxidants
functional foods
nutraceuticals
edible mushrooms
title The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy
title_full The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy
title_fullStr The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy
title_full_unstemmed The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy
title_short The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy
title_sort emerging role of oyster mushrooms as a functional food for complementary cancer therapy
topic bioactive compounds
natural antioxidants
functional foods
nutraceuticals
edible mushrooms
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/1/128
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