Morel mushroom, Morchella from Kashmir Himalaya: a potential source of therapeutically useful bioactives that possess free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, and arthritic edema-inhibiting activities

Polyamines in Edible and Medicinal Fungi from Serbia: A Novel Perspective on Neuroprotective Properties

The therapeutic effectiveness of current neurodegenerative disease treatments is still under debate because of problems with bioavailability and a range of side effects. Fungi, which are increasingly recognized as sources of natural antioxidants and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme inhibitors, may thus serve as potent neuroprotective agents. Previous studies have associated the anti-AChE and antioxidant activities of fungi mostly with polysaccharides and phenolic compounds, while other secondary metabolites such as polyamines (PAs) have been neglected. This study aimed to investigate eight edible and medicinal fungi from Serbia, marking the initial investigation into the neuroprotective capabilities of Postia caesia, Clitocybe odora, Clitopilus prunulus, and Morchella elata. Neuroprotective activity was examined using the Ellman assay, while the antioxidant capacity was tested by conducting DPPH, NO, ABTS, and FRAP tests. PA levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with fluorescent detection. Ganoderma applanatum and Lepista nuda exhibited the most robust anti-AChE (98.05 ± 0.83% and 99.94 ± 3.10%, respectively) and antioxidant activities, attributed to the synergistic effects of the total protein, total phenolic, and PA levels. Furthermore, P. caesia displayed significant AChE inhibition (88.21 ± 4.76%), primarily linked to the elevated spermidine (SPD) (62.98 ± 3.19 mg/kg d.w.) and putrescine (PUT) levels (55.87 ± 3.16 mg/kg d.w.). Our results highlight the need for thorough research to comprehend the intricate relationships between distinct fungus species and AChE inhibition. However, it is important to recognize that more research is required to identify the precise substances causing the reported inhibitory effects.

Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying anti-inflammatory effects of Morchella esculenta in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway by network pharmacology and molecular docking

Morchella esculenta is an edible fungus with a uniquely delicious flavor and remarkable benefits for health. Herein, the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of Morchella esculenta was elucidated using molecular docking and network pharmacology. NPASS, Super-pred, SEA, Swiss Target Prediction, GeneCards, DisGeNET, Omim database, and STRING platform were used to select anti-inflammatory targets and construct target protein interaction networks using the active ingredients of Morchella esculenta. The OmicShare cloud platform was used to analyze GO functions and KEGG pathways related to the target, and the AutoDock Vina software was used to perform molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation on the main target. Based on Cytoscape's "Network Analysis", the degree was used to identify potential key targets, and different inflammatory transcriptome data sets were used to evaluate core targets showing clinical significance. The active ingredient of Morchella esculenta identified from the NPASS database was EOYA, which had 43 anti-inflammatory targets, including NR1I2, PTGS1, PTGS2, CYP4F2, CYP3A4, TLR4, MAPK1, PLA2G4A, and PTPN11, and was mainly implicated in arachidonic acid metabolism, vascular endothelial growth factor signal pathway, and sphingomyelin signal transduction pathway, indicating that the anti-inflammatory effects of EOYA were mainly related to these biological processes. The degree was used to select 9 potential effective targets, namely NR1I2, PTGS1, PTGS2, CYP4F2, CYP3A4, TLR4, MAPK1, PLA2G4A, and PTPN11, among which NR1I2, PTGS1, PTGS2, PLA2G4A, MAPK1, CYP3A4, and TLR4 showed clinical significance. Molecular docking results showed that (E)-Octadec-11-En-9-Ynoic Acid (EOYA) could spontaneously bind to the 9 core targets, and the binding fractions of NR1I2, PTGS1, PTGS2, CYP4F2, and CYP3A4 were the highest. The MD simulation results showed that EYOA did indeed bind well NR1I2 to PTGS2, and the complex has high stability. Morchella esculenta can regulate the activity of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase, and affect the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, thereby impacting the metabolic pathway of arachidonic acid.

Morel (Morchella spp.) intake alters gut microbial community and short-chain fatty acid profiles in mice

Morels (Morchella spp.) are highly nutritious and consumed as both edible mushrooms and traditional Chinese medicine. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with morel mushrooms on the gut bacterial microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) profiles in healthy mice. Healthy mice were randomly assigned to five groups: a control group (0% morel) and four intervention groups supplemented with different levels of morel mushrooms (5% for M5, 10% for M10, 15% for M15, and 20% for M20) over a period of 4 weeks. Fecal samples were collected at the end of the experiment to characterize the microbiota and assess the SCFAs levels. The morel intervention significantly altered the bacterial community composition, increasing Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group and Parabacteroides, while decreasing Staphylococcus and the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio (F/B ratio). Moreover, increased morel intake was associated with weight loss. All SCFAs content was upregulated in the morel-intervention groups. Potential SCFAs-producing taxa identified by regression analysis were distributed in the families Muribaculaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and in the genera Jeotgalicoccus, Gemella, Odoribacter, Tyzzerella 3 and Ruminococcaceae UCG-014. The functional categories involved with SCFAs-production or weight loss may contain enzymes such as beta-glucosidase (K05349), beta-galactosidase (K01190), and hexosaminidase (K12373) after morel intervention. The exploration of the impact of morel mushrooms on gut microbiota and metabolites contributes to the development of prebiotics for improving health and reducing obesity.

Cultivation, nutritional value, bioactive compounds of morels, and their health benefits: A systematic review

Morels are valuable mushrooms being used as foods and medical substances for a long history. The commonly cultivated morel species include M. eximia, M. importuna, and M. sextelata in China, M. conica and M. esculenta in the US. Morels' nutritional profile mainly consists of carbohydrates, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and organic acids, which are also responsible for its complex sensory attributes and health benefits. The bioactive compounds in morels including polysaccharides, phenolics, tocopherols, and ergosterols contribute to the anti-oxidative abilities, anti-inflammation, immunoprotection, gut health preservation, and anti-cancer abilities. This review depicted on the cultivation of morels, major bioactive compounds of different morel species both from fruit bodies and mycelia, and their health benefits to provide a comprehensive understanding of morels and support the future research and applications of morels as high-value functional food sources.

Anticancer Activity of the Bioactive Extract of the Morel Mushroom (Morchella elata, Ascomycetes) from Kashmir Himalaya (India) and Identification of Major Bioactive Compounds

Morel mushrooms, Morchella species are highly nutritional, excellently edible and medicinal. Anticancer activity of M. elata, growing in forests of Kashmir Himalaya was studied. Ethyl acetate extract of fruiting bodies of M. elata (MEAE) was evaluated for cytotoxicity by MTT assay using Daltons lymphoma ascites (DLA), human colon cancer (HCT-116) and normal cell lines. Anti-carcinogenic and antiangiogenic activities of MEAE were tested using mouse models. Proapoptotic activity was detected by double staining of acridine orange-ethidium bromide assay. MEAE was partially purified by column chromatography and the bioactive compounds were identified by LC-MS analysis. The bioactive extract of M. elata showed significant cytotoxicic activity against DLA (P < 0.05), HCT-116 cell lines (P < 0.05) and did not possess appreciable adverse effect on the viability of normal cells. At a concentration of 100 µg/mL, 60% cell death was observed in HCT-116 cell line while 80% cell death was found in DLA cell line. The extract also possessed profound anticarcinogenic, antiangiogenic and proapoptotic activities. LC-MS analysis showed celastrol (RT 9.504, C29H38O4, MW 450.27), convallatoxin (RT 9.60, C29H42O10, MW 550.27), cucurbitacin A (RT 11.97, C32H46O9, MW 574.71) and madecassic acid (RT 14.35, C30H48O6, MW 504.70) as the major bioactive components. Current experimental studies indicated that bioactive extract of M. elata possessed significant anticancer activity. Being an excellently edible mushroom, the potential therapeutic use of M. elata and its bioactive extract in complementary therapy of cancer is envisaged.