🍄 Fungi Info

Ergot

Claviceps purpurea

Claviceps purpurea (ergot) is a parasitic fungus of cereal grains that produces a remarkable array of alkaloids -- ergotamine, ergometrine, dihydroergotamine, and lysergic acid derivatives -- that have profoundly shaped both medical history and pharmacology. Ergot alkaloids act on serotonin, dopamine, and adrenergic receptors, forming the basis for treatments of migraine (ergotamine, DHE), postpartum hemorrhage (ergometrine), Parkinson's disease and hyperprolactinemia (bromocriptine, cabergoline), and historically contributing to the synthesis of LSD. Approximately 130 epidemics of ergotism ("St. Anthony's fire") were documented in Europe between 591 and 1789 AD. Modern clinical use is restricted to purified and semi-synthetic derivatives due to the narrow therapeutic index and complex receptor pharmacology of crude ergot preparations.

Splitgill Mushroom

Schizophyllum commune

Splitgill Mushroom (Schizophyllum commune) produces schizophyllan (SPG/sizofiran), a beta-1,3/1,6-D-glucan with a unique triple-helical conformation that was approved as a pharmaceutical in Japan in 1986 for cervical cancer adjunctive therapy. SPG is one of only three mushroom-derived compounds to achieve full pharmaceutical approval, alongside PSK (Turkey Tail) and lentinan (Shiitake). Administered by intralesional injection alongside radiation therapy, SPG significantly improved complete response rates and survival in multiple RCTs. S. commune is also the most widely distributed mushroom on Earth and uniquely among medicinal mushrooms, is a documented opportunistic human pathogen in immunocompromised patients.

Turkey Tail

Trametes versicolor

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) produces the protein-bound polysaccharides PSK (Krestin) and PSP, which represent the most clinically validated immunomodulatory compounds derived from any medicinal mushroom. PSK has been an approved prescription pharmaceutical in Japan since 1977 for cancer adjunctive therapy, supported by large-scale randomized controlled trials demonstrating improved survival in gastric, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancer. PSP, developed in China, shows parallel immunostimulatory properties with a growing clinical evidence base. Turkey Tail holds the distinction of being the only medicinal mushroom whose derivative has achieved full pharmaceutical approval in a major regulatory jurisdiction.

Beta-Glucan Science

Understanding beta-glucans — the primary bioactive compounds in medicinal mushrooms, how they work, testing methods, and what to look for in supplements.

Amyloban 3399 (Lion's Mane Standardized Mycelium Extract)

Evidence review of Amyloban 3399, a standardized Hericium erinaceus mycelium extract containing amycenone — with clinical trial data for treatment-resistant depression and neurocognitive disorders, representing the mycelium-specific arm of Lion's Mane therapeutics.

AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound)

Evidence review of AHCC, a proprietary alpha-glucan-rich extract derived from Lentinula edodes (shiitake) mycelium culture — one of the most heavily researched mushroom-derived supplements globally, with clinical trial data for HPV clearance, cancer immunotherapy support, and immune biomarker enhancement.

Traditional Use in East Asian Medicine

The history and context of medicinal mushroom use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Japanese Kampo, and Korean traditional medicine spanning over 2,000 years.

Fruiting Body vs. Mycelium

Understanding the critical quality distinction between fruiting body extracts and grain-grown mycelium products — what the research says and how to evaluate supplements.