Zhejiang Wu Yang Tang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Product Name
Dictyophora indusiata Powder

Phallus indusiatus(Redirected from Dictyophora indusiata),commonly called in English the bamboo fungus, bamboo pith, long net stinkhorn, crinoline stinkhorn or veiled lady, is a stinkhorn fungus in the Phallaceae family. It is an edible mushroom used as an ingredient in Chinese haute cuisine. Nutritional analysis has shown that the mushroom is rich in protein, carbohydrates and dietary fiber. The mushroom also contains various bioactive compounds, and has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

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Nutrients

Nutritional analysis of P. indusiatus shows that the egg stage of the fungus contains (per 100 g of fungus, dry weight) 33.6 g of crude protein, 1.66 g of fat, and 3.98 g of carbohydrates. The egg stage was also measured to comprise 20.9 g crude fiber, and 88.76% moisture. The high levels of protein and fiber (which are comparable to values found in meat and vegetables, respectively) suggest that the egg form of P. indusiatus is a good food source. The concentration of several mineral elements, including potassium, sodium, and iron was also favorable compared to fruits and vegetables.

Medicinal use and research

The fruit bodies of the fungus contain biologically active polysaccharides. A ��-D-glucan called T-5-N, prepared from alkaline extracts, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. The chemical structure of the polysaccharide was found to have a linear chain backbone made largely of ��-1��3 linked D-mannopyranosyl residues, with traces of 1��6 linked D-mannopyrosyl residues. The polysaccharide has exhibited tumor-suppressing activity against subcutaneously implanted sarcoma 180 (a transplantable, non-metastasizing connective tissue tumor often used in research) in mice.

P. indusiatus contains the chemical 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural (also known as hydroxymethylfurfural). This compound inhibits tyrosinase, an enzyme that catalyzes the initial steps of melanogenesis in mammals, and is responsible for the undesirable browning reactions in damaged fruits during post-harvest handling and processing. For these reasons, researchers are interested in finding effective tyrosinase inhibitors for the medical, cosmetics, and food industries. Hydroxymethylfurfural occurs naturally in several foods, and is not associated with serious health risks. P. indusiatus also contains a unique ribonuclease (RNase)��an enzyme that cuts RNA into smaller components. The enzyme has several biochemical characteristics that differentiate it from other known mushroom RNases: a unique N-terminal sequence of peptides; an unusual sensitivity to heat, whereby enzyme activity is completely lost after 10 minutes at 100 ��C (212 ��F); optimal enzyme activity at an acidic pH (4�C4.5); and specificity towards RNAs containing sequences with continuous stretches of uracil (polyU) and adenine (polyA).

Two novel sesquiterpenes have been identified from the fruit bodies of the fungus, named dictyophorine A and B. These compounds are based on the eudesmane skeleton (a common structure found in plant-derived flavors and fragrances), are the first eudesmane derivatives isolated from fungi. The dictyophorines promote the synthesis of nerve growth factor in astroglial cells. Other similar compounds isolated and identified from the fungus include the quinazoline compounds named dictyoquinazoles A, B and C. These chemicals��belonging to a class of compounds known to be rare in nature��were shown in laboratory tests to have a protective effect on cultured mouse neurons that had been exposed to neurotoxins. A total synthesis for the dictyoquinazoles was reported in 2007.

Extracts of P. indusiatus have been shown to have both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Mushroom extracts were tested against a variety of bacteria and fungi pathogenic to humans, and in some cases had antimicrobial activity comparable to the antibiotics ampicillin, tetracycline, and nystatin. The antioxidant effect of the fungus is due to a class of molecules known as polyphenols; this class of compounds, common in some types of legumes and fruits, plays a role in reducing cellular damage resulting from oxidative stress.