Mushroom extracts and compounds with suppressive action on breast cancer: evidence from studies using cultured cancer cells, tumor-bearing animals, and clinical trials

This article reviews mushrooms with anti-breast cancer activity. The mushrooms covered which are better known include the following: button mushroom Agaricus bisporus , Brazilian mushroom Agaricus blazei , Amauroderma rugosum , stout camphor fungus Antrodia camphorata , Jew’s ear (black) fungus or black wood ear fungus Auricularia auricula–judae , reishi mushroom or Lingzhi Ganoderma lucidum , Ganoderma sinense , maitake mushroom or sheep’s head mushroom Grifola frondosa , lion’s mane mushroom or monkey head mushroom Hericium erinaceum , brown beech mushroom Hypsizigus marmoreus , sulfur polypore mushroom Laetiporus sulphureus , Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom), Phellinus linteus (Japanese “meshimakobu,” Chinese “song gen,” Korean “sanghwang,” American “black hoof mushroom”), abalone mushroom Pleurotus abalonus , king oyster mushroom Pleurotus eryngii , oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus , tuckahoe or Fu Ling Poria cocos , and split gill mushroom Schizophyllum commune . Antineoplastic effectiveness in human clinical trials and mechanism of anticancer action have been reported for Antrodia camphorata , Cordyceps sinensis , Coriolus versicolor , Ganoderma lucidum , Grifola frondosa , and Lentinula edodes .