The mushrooms are a class of fungi which possesses a wide variety of functional chemistry. Fungi live via an extra cellular life process. The mushrooms exude protein catalysts which digest the foods around it. The digestion is then transported back into the fungal cell for use. Because of this feeding method, mushrooms possess a large amount of Enzymes .(8-12)

The mushroom's cellular structure is composed of hundreds of very specific types of complex sugars, called beta-glucans. Along with these long chain sugars, the mushrooms also produce glycol-proteins. Sugar structures attached to a protein stem.

Enzymes, beta glucans and glycol-proteins all have very specific shapes which interact with structures that are on the cells membrane. These “sensors / receptors” on the inside and outside of the cells couple with the mushrooms chemistry and cause the body’s cell to produce a multitude of proteins. In some studies it shows that when cancer cells consume this chemistry from a turkey tail specie that the cancer cell produced new proteins that cause the cancer cells apoptosis in several European studies.

Each protein reacting with the next, like a relay race with many runners involved. This is a cascade reaction. These cascade reactions can be used by the cell to communicate within the cell, or between cells in the body. They can cause genes within the DNA to create more proteins for different biological activity, or cause more enzymes to be produced, which assists many more chemicals to be formed. (9-23)

Cell transductance (communication through these sensors / receptors), can open the cell walls to a flood of calcium ions, or increase the flow of glucose, adrenaline, and insulin across the membrane. These sensors can cause the synthesis of good cholesterol versus bad cholesterol, can cause chemicals to dilate blood vessels, and cause the creation of NO, nitric oxide, to support the cells to produce chemicals to quench free radicals. Because medicinal mushrooms have their own life to live, which in many respects is very similar to an animal’s cell life they have all of the essential amino acids and minerals.

Remember, fungi breathe oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, just as humans do; the mushroom cell needs and uses the same basic building blocks. Fungi therefore contain all the essential amino acids, nucleotides, transition metals, vitamins, including B12, C, niacin, D, L-ergothioneine and a large contingent of enzymes to make the process work. The components of Mushroom blends, are the very same that our cells need. The scientist can create blends according to the health challenges for consumption. These certain mushroom blends are not a neutraceutical mix of chemicals put together in a lab. It is an ancient living life form, and has the correct ratio and amounts of two to four thousand biological chemicals. Specific mushroom species have evolved along side animals, and man is consuming this whole food, reaping the benefit of chemistry that was explicitly designed for a complete healthful life. (24-33)

Bibliography

1) Dastrun et al. (2004), Molecular events associated with reactive oxygen species and cell cycle progression in mammalian cells, Dept. cell biology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, Online Pub.

2) Kakkura B., (2006), Variations in erythrocyte antioxidant glutathione peroxidase activity during the menstrual cycle, Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Siena, Italy, Online Pub

3) Jeffery Klein, (2003), Susan Ackerman, Oxidative stress, cell cycle, and neurodegeneration, J. Clin Invest, 111;785-793

4) Nagy Z, Esiri, M (1998), The cell division cycle and the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroscience, 87; 731-739,

5) Lee P. (2004), Mechanism of neuronal death in Down’s syndrome. J. Neural Trausm, Supp 57; 233-245

6) Kanman K, Jain S. (2000), Oxidative stress and apoptosis. Pathophysiology; 7; 153-163

7) Dirk Grundemann et al, (2004), Discovery of the ergothioneine, Transporter Department of Pharmachology, University of Cologne, Germany

8) Kutner& Jablonska, (2000), Vitamin D deficiency associated with cancers, Grant 2002: Hansen & Hamberg, 2001: Online Pub

9) Billaudel B, Barakat, L. (1998) Vitamin D3 deficiency and alterations of glucose metabolism in rat endocrine pancreas, Diabetes Metabolism 24, 344-350

10) S.P. Wasser, Medicinal mushrooms as a source of antitumor and immunomodulating polysaccharides (2002), Applied Microbial Biotechnology 60, pp258-274

11) Borchers AT, Stern JS, Hackman RM (1999) Mushrooms, tumors and immunity, Soc. Exp Biol Med 221; pp 281-293

12) Fullerton SA, Samadi AA, (2000), Induction of apoptosis in human prostatic cancer cells with beta-glucan from Maitake, Mol Urol 4: pp7-13

13) Breene W., Nutritional and Medicinal Calue of Specialty Mushrooms (1989), J. of food protection vol 53: No. 10, pp 883-894

14) Nathon Sharon, Halina Lis (1993), Carbohydrates in Cell Recognition, , Scientific America, Jan 1993

15) So-Young Won and Eun-Hee Park (2005), Anti-inflammatory and related pharmacological activities of cultured mycelia and fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris, , College of Pharmacy, Sookmyung Women’s Unicersity, Seoul 140-742, South Korea, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol 96, issue 3, 15 Jan 2005 p 555-561

16) Chiou et al, 2000, Protein constituent contributes to the hypotensive and vasorelaxant activities of Cordyceps sinensis, Life Sciences 66 (2000), pp 1369-1376

17) Ingber et al, 1990 D. Ingber, T. Fujita, Synthetic analogs of fumagillin that inhibit angiogenesis and suppress tumor growth, Nature 348 (1990), pp 555-557

18) Koh et al, 2003 J.H. Koh, K.M. Kim, Ant fatigue and anti stress effects of the hot water fraction from mycelia of Cordyceps sinesis, Biological and Pharmaceuetin 26 (2003), pp 691-694

19) Bok et al, 1999 J.W. Bok, L. Lermer, J. Chilton, H.G. Klingerman, Antitumor sterols from the mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis, Phytochemistry 51 (1999), pp 891-898.

20) Bourlon, P. M., Billaudel, B& Faure-Dussert, A. (1999), Influence of vitamin D3 deficiency and 1, 25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 on de novo insulin biosynthesis in the islets of the rat endocrine pancreas, Journal of Endocrinology, 160, 87-95

21) Ohno, R., Imai, K. Yokomaku, S. & Yamada, K. (1975) Antitumor effect of protein bound polysaccharide preparation, PSK against 3-methylcholanthrene induced fibrosarcoma in C57BL/6 mice. Gann 66 697-681

22) Matsunaga, K., Oguchi, Y, Ando T, (1980) Effect of PSK on intestinal immune system in tumor bearing mice. Proceedings of the Japanese Cancer Association, 29th Annual meeting, p145

23) Muto, S. Kobayashi, A. (1982) Structure and antitumor effect of PSK (Kreston): mechanistic aspects of the antitumor activity. Proceedings of 2ndInternational Conference of Immunopharmachology, p 308

24) Muto, S., Kobayashi, A. (1983) Structural analysis and antitumor effect of PSK, Proceedings of 13th International Congress of Chemotherapy, Vienna: part 287, pp 37-40

25) Morimasa, K. Yamana, S. Matsueda, H. (1980) Immunostimulent therapy with protein bound polysaccharide preparation in patients with SLE or RA. Clinical Immunology 12: 393-398

26) Aoki T (1984) Fenichei RL, Chirgis MA, Immune modulating agents and their mechanisms, Immunol Stud 25, 62-77

27) Fujimiya Y, Yamamoto H, Noji M (2000) Peroral effect on tumor progression of soluable B-1,6 glucans prepared by acid treatment from Agaricus blazei, Agaricaceae Higher Basidiomycetes, Int. J Med Mushrooms 2: pp43-49

28) Che Ys, Lin Lz, Clinical observation of therapeutic effects of JinShuBao on coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, and blood rheology. Chinese traditional herbal drugs 1996;27 (9) pp 552-553

29) Kiho T, Yamane A, Polysaccharides in fungi. XXXVI. Hypoglycemic activity of a polysaccharide (CS-F30) from the cultured mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis and its effect on glucose metabolism in mouse liver. Biol Pharm Bull (1996);; 19(2) p294-296

30) Shao G. You Zj, Treatment of hyperlipidemia with Cordyceps sinensis; a double blind placebo control trial. Int j oriental Med 1990;15(2);77-80

31) Mizuno T. et al Antitumor active polysaccharides isolated from the fruiting body of Hericium erinaceum, an edible and medicinal mushroom called yamabushitake Biosci, Biotech, Biochem 56 (2), 347-348 (1992)

32)S. Konno, H Tazaki et al, A possible hypoglycemic effect of Maitake mushroom on type 2 diabetic patients, Diabetic Medicine, Vol 18 Issue 12 p 1010 Issue 12 Dec 2001