Main description:

Medicinal mushrooms have been used since ancient times. Certain mushrooms can be used in treating numerous conditions including those related to cardiovascular health, obesity, cholesterol balance, bone health, diabetes, and cancer. Wild Mushrooms and Health Diversity, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Benefits, and Cultivation establishes reports on numerous species of wild medicinal mushrooms and their potential uses in new drug discovery, analysis of bioactive substances, and prospects for cultivation.

Features

* Comprehensive review of medicinal mushrooms as sources of promising bioactive molecules and prospective agents of new drug discoveries.

* Presents information on diversity, distribution, ethnomycology, ecology, cultivation, descriptions of specific species, and folk medicinal uses of mushrooms throughout the world.

* Emphasis on identification, documentation, bioactive substances, and the nature of mushroom bioactivity.

* Discusses nutraceutical properties of wild mushrooms, including a high protein content comparable to meat and a low-fat content make them a complete dietary food.

* Explores methods involved in the collection, identification, documentation, cultivation, and analysis of mushrooms for drug discovery and conservation techniques.

A volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, this volume is a comprehensive resource for medical researchers/scientists and pharmaceutical companies. In addition, content is appropriate for mycologists and botanists interested in pharmacognosy.

Contents:

Biodiversity of Medicinal Mushrooms of India and Preliminary Screening for Bioactive Molecules. Distribution, Ecology and Taxonomy of Medicinal Mushrooms. Bioactive Profile of Xylaria of Southwest India. Ethnomycology, Bioprospection and Uses of Mushrooms in Costa Rica. Medicinal Mushrooms of Kerala State, India: Diversity and Systematics, India. Growing Your Own Effective Medicines - Cultivation of Medicinal Mushrooms and Fungi. Amanita: Toxicity, Edibility, Diversity, and Phytochemistry. Ethnomycology: Diversity and Utilization of Medicinal Mushrooms in the Philippines. Medicinal Mushrooms - Citizens' Perspective in Himalaya. Diversity of Macrofungi in North East India with Special Reference to Medicinal Macrofungi. Wild Medicinal Mushrooms of Northwest Himalayas of Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh: Their Traditional and Modern Applications. Taxonomy, Diversity, Ecology, Ethnomycology, Medicinal Aspects, Biotechnology, and Phytochemistry of Sri Lankan Mushrooms. Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ethnomycological Knowledge of Calostoma Spp. (Calostomataceae) from Northern Borneo, Malaysia. Diversity, Distribution and Ecology of Wild/Medicinal Mushrooms in Bangladesh. Current Apprises on Medicinal Properties of Some Wild Mushrooms . Diversity and Ecology of Wild Mushrooms in Ethiopia. Mushroom- Biotechnology: Recent Trends and Applications. Use of Mushrooms in Traditional Medicine in China. Taxonomy, Diversity, Mycochemical and Medicinal Aspects of Wood Decay Fungi from Andhra Pradesh's Eastern Ghats Region of India. Hidden Treasure of Himalayan Forests: Mushrooms with Curative Potential. Some Uncommon Traditionally Important Mushrooms of Uttarakhand, India.