Edible Mushrooms: As Functional Foods and Nutriceuticals

Journal Title: Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research - Year 2017, Vol 1, Issue 2

Abstract

Mushrooms are macro-fungi that grow naturally on soil, agro wastes, on and around trees and are easily picked by hand. They occur in various sizes and shapes and may be edible or poisonous. Majority of mushrooms are ectomycorrhizal fungi supporting the growth and development of many trees in natural forests. They accordingly contribute substantially to nutrient cycling and ecosystem sustainability. Mushrooms have historically been used by man for food and health benefits. Nutritionally, mushrooms are rich in protein, minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamins and have low fat and zero cholesterol. Mushrooms are picked from the wild by local inhabitants and used to prepare soups and stew. This method of sourcing for mushrooms is however fraught with the danger of eating a poisonous mushroom. Poisoning resulting from mushroom consumption necessitates the need for proper identification of mushrooms before consumption. There are many known edible mushrooms which can be eaten, so it is advisable to properly identify a mushroom before consumption; better still, it is advisable to consume the mushrooms that are well known and documented to be edible.

Authors and Affiliations

John Okhuoya

Keywords

Related Articles

Membrane Stabilizing Effect and Antioxidant Potential of Different Extracts from Eicchornia crassipes Flowers: An In Vitro Assessment

Received 29 November 2017 Revised 24 December 2017 Accepted 27 December 2017 Published online 07 January 2018 Eicchornia crassipes has been traditionally used as a tonic for the skin of horses, for irritation and infla...

Microscopic Features and Preliminary Thin Layer Chromatography of “Thanh ngam” (Picria fel-terrae Lour. ex Wall) Collected in Viet Nam

Picria fel-terrae Lour. ex Wall, a plant belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae, is a medicinal plant in Vietnamese traditional medicine which has long been used to treat anorexia, snake bite wound and help gastrointes...

An Overview of Ethnoveterinary Medicine in Nigeria

A myriad of animal diseases are responsible for major losses in livestock production, threatens the epidemiology, control and prevention of zoonosis and pose a major threat to human health and as constraints to the devel...

Evaluation of Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Methanol Leaf Extract of Croton lobatus (Euphorbiaceae) in Rodents

Croton lobatus (Euphorbiaceae) is an annual herbaceous plant found throughout the West African region. The leaves of the plant are used in Senegal for treating whooping cough and to assuage the pain of scorpion sting in...

Evaluation of Acute and Sub-Chronic Toxicities and the Effect of Ointment Bases on the Antimicrobial Potency of the Ethanolic Extracts of Alchornea cordifolia Leaf and Terminalia superba Stem Bark

Received 25 June 2018 Revised 07 July 2018 Accepted 08 July 2018 Published online 08 July 2018 The problem of resistance of dermatological infections to some antimicrobial agents available in the market has constrained...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP349901
  • DOI 10.26538/tjnpr/v1i5.1
  • Views 146
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

John Okhuoya (2017). Edible Mushrooms: As Functional Foods and Nutriceuticals. Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research, 1(2), 186-187. https://www.europub.co.uk/articles/-A-349901