Shiitake

See also: Lentinula (genus)

Videos

Shiitake - the Winter Series Course

Overview

Qualities: Sweet and slightly salty, neutral, restoring, nourishing

Tropism: related to the spleen and stomach channels

Generally neutral foods will tonify Qi and blood and harmonize Yin and Yang. They can be used in combination with other types of foods to add variety and choice or to decrease the harshness of a very cold or very hot diet.

Constituents:

Listing on Duke's Phytochemical Database

Lentin, Lentinan, beta 1,3-glucans, L-ergothioneine (antioxidant), 20-23% protein including ) 8 essential amino acids(digestibility of 80-87%), 58-60% complex carbohydrates (polysaccarides), 3-4% lipids, AHCC, vitamins A, C, B1B2,B3,B5, B6, B12, folate, glucose, enzymes, 9-10% dietary fiber, ergosterol which, when converted by sunlight becomes vitamin D; iron, calcium,phosphorous, selenium, copper, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and manganese

Selenium: 1/2 cup contains 18 mcg of selenium and provides 33% of your daily requirement

Tissue State Relevance

1. Damp / Stagnation — Strong

Shiitake contains lentinan, lenthionine, guaiacol, syringol, and multiple terpenoids with antimicrobial and antineoplastic activity.

• The Wiley review documents potent antimicrobial and antineoplastic effects from lentinan and other constituents Wiley Online Library.
• The MDPI review shows shiitake mycelial extract (AHCC®) modulates immune clearance and improves host defense in cancer and perioperative settings MDPI.

Interpretation:
Damp/Stagnation patterns involve infection, microbial overgrowth, sluggish immune clearance, and tumorigenic stagnation. Shiitake’s immune‑activating and antimicrobial actions directly address these.

2. Heat / Excitation — Strong

Shiitake demonstrates anti‑inflammatory and organ‑protective effects.

• The MDPI review shows shiitake extracts reduce inflammatory cytokines and protect tissues from ischemia‑reperfusion injury MDPI.
• The Wiley review notes anti‑inflammatory activity from multiple phenolic and terpenoid compounds Wiley Online Library.

Interpretation:
Heat/Excitation patterns include inflamed, irritated, hyperactive tissues. Shiitake cools inflammatory processes and protects organs under stress.

3. Dry / Atrophy — Moderate–Strong

Shiitake contains tocopherols, polyunsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids, and triterpenoids with strong antioxidant and tissue‑protective effects.

• The Wiley review highlights shiitake’s antioxidant profile and dermatological benefits Wiley Online Library.
• The MDPI review shows shiitake extracts preserve tissue viability and reduce oxidative damage in organ models MDPI.

Interpretation:
Dry/Atrophy patterns involve depleted, undernourished, or oxidatively stressed tissues. Shiitake replenishes and protects these.

4. Cold / Depression — Moderate

Shiitake exhibits immunonutritional and metabolic‑regulating effects.

• Eritadenine supports lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health (Wiley review) Wiley Online Library.
• AHCC® improves immune tone and metabolic resilience in cancer patients (MDPI review) MDPI.

Interpretation:
Cold/Depression patterns include sluggish metabolism, low immune tone, and endocrine underactivity. Shiitake gently supports metabolic and immune activation.

5. Wind / Tension — Low

No evidence of:

• antispasmodic action
• nervine effects
• tension‑modulating aromatics

Shiitake is not a nervous‑system relaxant.

6. Damp / Relaxation — Low

Shiitake is not demulcent or moistening.
Its actions are nutritive, immune‑modulating, and anti‑inflammatory — not softening or mucilaginous.

Summary Table

Uses

Shiitake Mushroom Health Benefits and Side effects

1. Nourishes the spleen and the stomach, benefits qi, induces eruption of measles

Indigestion

Poor appetite

Fatigue

Polyuria

Boosts cardiovascular health

Shiitake helps boost cardiovascular health by preventing too much immune cell binding to the lining of our blood vessels. Because of specific types of protein molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin) in shiitake mushrooms, which have special adhesion characteristics in their molecules, our blood vessels are protected.

Beta-glucan, the soluble fiber in shiitake mushrooms also binds to cholesterol in the gut by forming a gel-like paste, which absorbs it and then expels it from the body. It is through this process that ‘bad’ cholesterol levels can be lowered by eating shiitake.

It works to prevent heart disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, helping pull fat from the system, and working as an anticoagulant.

The ability of shiitake to lower blood cholesterol was first reported in the 1960s. It was found that a diet supplemented with the dried ground sporophores lowered average plasma cholesterol when fed to rats. The main active component was defined and named eritadenine. It supposedly lowers all lipid components of serum lipoproteins in both animals and humans. Orally it was found to be effective and have low toxicity although only 10% is absorbed from the intestinal tract. Intravenous eritadenine administration has proven ineffective, being cleared rapidly from circulation and excreted in the kidneys.

Prevents Fat Deposition and Lowers Triglyceride

In the investigation of the effects of Shiitake mushroom on the prevention of alterations of plasma lipid profiles, fat deposition, energy efficiency, and body fat index induced by High-fat diet (HFD) found that the existence of negative correlations between the amount of Shiitake mushroom supplementation and body weight gain, plasma TAG, and total fat masses, source - “Dietary Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodes) Prevents Fat Deposition and Lowers Triglyceride in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet” by Handayani D, Chen J, Meyer BJ, Huang XF.

Immune system support

Oral ingestion of whole mushroom extracts has shown to modulate certain immune functions, although the oral administration of the polysaccharide lentinan is ineffective. β-glucans lose much of their anti-tumor activity with decreasing molecular weight, so their digestion would account for their lack of oral activity. The differences in effectiveness between shiitake and the lentinan extracted indicates that other constituents of the mushroom may have a bioactive role. The mechanisms are still unclear. Its likely that lentinan requires the presence of other constituents (syngergy) to be bioactive.

The mechanism of lentinan’s anti-tumor activity is not clear either; lentinan is known as a biological response modifier (BRM) which is often taken as a synonym for an immunomodulator. Its anti-tumor action is host mediated; lentinan is claimed to enhance cell-mediated immune responses in vitro and in vivo which probably plays a part in its anti-tumor activity.

In a randomized dietary intervention in young adults, eating shiitake mushrooms for 4 weeks altered immune function.

Prebiotic Activity

 Study

Aging is characterized by impaired immunity and unbalanced gut microbiota. Prebiotics have the capability to prevent or reverse age-related declines in health by modulating gut microbiota. Mushroom polysaccharides have been suggested to be potential prebiotics. However, their effects on the immunity and gut microbiota in aged mice have not been determined. This study firstly assessed the effects of a heteropolysaccharide L2 isolated from the fruit body of L.edodes on the immune response of aged mice, and then compared the composition of fecal microbiota in adult (N), old (O) and L2-treated old (Oa) mice using the high-throughput pyrosequencing technique. The results showed that L2 can restore the age-attenuated immune responses by increasing cytokine levels in peripheral blood. Moreover, L2 can partly reverse the age-altered composition of gut microbiota. The Euclidean distances (De) among 3 groups (N, O and Oa) are determined to be De(O, N) = 0.19, De(O, Oa) = 0.20, and De(N, Oa) = 0.10, i.e. there is a marked reduction in the distance from 0.19 to 0.1 by L2. This suggests the beneficial effects of L2 on enhancing immunity and improving gut health.

Antibacterial and Antiviral Activity

Other significant aspects of the immunomodulatory effects of shiitake are increased host resistance to bacterial and viral infections. Lenthionine, a cyclic organosulfur compound partly responsible for the flavor of shiitake mushrooms, has antibacterial and antifungal activity and bis[(methylsulfonyl)methyl]disulphide, a derivative of lenthionine, has strong inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. The chloroform and ethylacetate extracts of the dried mushroom have bactericidal activity against both growing and resting Streptococcus mutans and Prevotella intermedia . Only a few studies have explored antibacterial components of shiitake, and these have concentrated on their potential in terms of bacteria of oral origin. Anti-bacterial activity is an exciting result, with increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, improving host immunity may be the way forward in fighting bacterial infection. But, these results should be viewed with caution because the published papers in this area are confined to only one or two journals, and although these have reliable IF scores, this fact does not enhance the credibility of the reports.

Antigingivitis

In the assessment of Gingivitis as a result of inflammation of the gums due to the buildup of a microbial biofilm at the gingival margin found that shiitake mushroom extract lowered the numbers of some pathogenic taxa without affecting the taxa associated with health, unlike chlorhexidine which has a limited effect on all taxa.

Source: “In vitro assessment of shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) extract for its antigingivitis activity” byCiric L, Tymon A, Zaura E, Lingström P, Stauder M, Papetti A, Signoretto C, Pratten J, Wilson M, Spratt D.

Anticaries

In the analyzing the anticariogenic potential of the (sub)fractions obtained from the edible mushroom shiitake (Lentinula edodes) found that the SF4 of shiitake showed strong inhibiting effect on dentin demineralization and induced microbial shifts that could be associated with oral health. The acid producing potential was increased, suggesting uncoupling of the glycolysis of the microbiota by the exposure to shiitake extract and subfractions 4 (SF4). In conclusion, the results suggest that SF4 of shiitake has an anticariogenic potential, according to “The effects of fractions from shiitake mushroom on composition and cariogenicity of dental plaque microcosms in an in vitro caries model” by Zaura E, Buijs MJ, Hoogenkamp MA, Ciric L, Papetti A, Signoretto C, Stauder M, Lingström P, Pratten J, Spratt DA, Wilson M.

Antiviral

A heteroglycan-protein fraction from the extract stimulates the production of IFN-gamma (interferon-gamma)in splenic cells, which augments the antitumour immune response. This function supports a broad spectrum of antiviral activity including hepatitis A, B and C viruses, herpes and HIV. A water-soluble extract of Lentinus can induce B cell proliferation by regulating cellular transcription factors such as NF-kappa B.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has shown some sensitivity to shiitake extracts in several experiments. Lentinan in combination with 3’-azido-3’-deoxythymidine (AZT) suppressed the surface expression of HIV antigen more strongly than AZT alone in vitro. It was also shown to enhance the effect of AZT on replication of HIV in various human haematopoietic cell lines in vitro. In another study several fractions of LEM (an aqueous extract of the shiitake and its solid culture medium) caused inhibition of the infectivity and cytopathic effect of HIV. There has not been much further progress with these findings. Most reported experiments have been conducted in vitro and to this date there have been no studies on human participants. Therefore, the possibility of shiitake extracts being used in HIV treatment is not yet established.

Prevention and Treatment of Cancer

Skin Cancer

The effects of ethanol extracts from four species of mushroom fruiting bodies, mushroom spores and mushroom cultured broth, were assessed for modulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis in murine skin carcinoma cells (CH72) and non-tumorigenic epidermal cells (C50). While extracts from mycelia of Grifola frondosa, Ganoderma lucidum, Hericium erinaceus, or from spores of G. lucidum exerted little, if any, effect on proliferation, the ethanol-soluble extract of Lentinula edodes (L. edodes) significantly decreased cell proliferation of CH72 cells. There were no changes in the proliferative response of the non-tumorigenic keratinocyte cell line, C50, to any of the mushroom extracts tested. To analyze cell proliferation and apoptosis, fluorescent DNA-microscopy with ethidium bromide and acridine orange staining of cells revealedL. edodes reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in time- and dose-dependent manners in carcinoma cells but had no effect in non-tumorigenic cells (C50). Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that L. edodes extract induced a transient G(1) arrest, with no changes observed in the non-tumorigenic cells (C50).

Study on 6 water soluble polysaccharides from Shiitake

Relationship of chemical composition and cytotoxicity of water-soluble polysaccharides from Lentinus**edodes** fruiting bodies.

All the polysaccharide fractions exhibited antitumor activities against Sarcoma 180 (S-180) solid tumor cells and human colorectal cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT-116) in vitro at the dose of 5mg/ml. The antitumor activities of the polysaccharides were related to their monosaccharide content and molecular weight. The effects of Gal, Man and bound protein on the improvement of antitumor activities of polysaccharides might not be negligible

Hepatoprotective

Extracts of the mycelium of shiitake mushrooms not only protect the liver but also recover from liver fibrosis, according to “Effects and mechanisms of Acremoniumterricola milleretal mycelium on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats” byTian XP, Yin YY, Li X.(V)

Protects liver from acetominophen damage.

Lentinus also prevents liver cancer cell metastasis. In an experiment using an animal model of primary colorectal cancer the survival period of the animals was dramatically prolonged. This activity is relevant to the promotion of liver natural killer (NK) and liver macrophage activities.

Per Sloan-Kettering:

Clinical Summary

Shiitake mushroom, native to East Asia, is cultivated worldwide for its purported health benefits. The fresh and dried forms of the mushroom are commonly used in East Asian cooking. It is also valued as an anticancer agent.

Lentinan (1,3 beta-D-glucan), a polysaccharide isolated from shiitake is thought to be responsible for the mushroom’s beneficial effects. Although it has been shown to have anticancer effects , lentinan is considered a biological response modifier, rather than having a direct cytotoxic effect on tumor cells . Studies conducted with shiitake extracts in vitro and in animal models reveal immunostimulatory , antiviral, hepatoprotective, antihypercholemic , antiproliferative , cytotoxic , antimutagenic , and anticaries properties. Latcripin-13 domain isolated from shiitake was shown

to exhibit antitumor activity in lung cancer cells.

In a randomized dietary intervention in young adults, eating shiitake mushrooms for 4 weeks altered immune function. An orally administered shiitake mycelial extract decreased the incidence of chemotherapy-associated adverse effects in a small study of patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer , and in combination with immunotherapy, improved QOL in cancer patients . But a polysaccharide/oligosaccharide complex from shiitake extract failed to show effectiveness in the treatment of prostate cancer . More well-designed studies are needed to establish shiitake as a useful adjunct to cancer treatment.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

Shiitake mushroom supplementation enhanced gut immunity by upregulating interleukin (IL)-23 secretion in a murine model of acute dextran sodium sulfatecolitis. Shiitake extracts and the polysaccharide lentinan exerted antiviral effects, by acting on initial replication processes of poliovirus type 1 (PV-1) and bovine herpes virus type 1 (BoHV-1) . Another polysaccharide isolated from shiitake exhibited antibacterial effects in mice by increasing T-helper (Th1) cell immunity, resulting in activation of macrophage-mediated immune response . The isolated protein lentin exhibited antifungal properties, inhibited proliferation of leukemic cells, and suppressed activity of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase . Shiitake consumption in adults altered immune function via increased proliferation of gamma delta-T and NK-T cells, increased secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva, increased IL-1alpha, IL-4, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels, and decreased macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha/chemokine C-C ligand 3 (MIP-1alpha/CCL3) levels . A low-molecular-weight lignin from shiitake inhibits hepatitis C virus by binding to viral apolipoprotein E (apoE) before interacting with cell surface heparan sulfate.

Eritadenine from shiitake may exert antihypercholemic effects and regulate lipid metabolism by inhibiting S-adenosyl homocysteine hydrolase activity, and both eritadenine and shiitake mushroom supplementation upregulated CYP7A1 mRNA expression which was decreased in hypercholesterolemic mice . High doses of shiitake mushroom prevented obesity in rats by increasing plasma triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver.

Dried shiitake extract caused apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells by mediating caspase-3 and -8 pathways . Inhibition of lung cancer cells by the Latcripin-13 domain isolated from shiitake was shown to be due to apoptotic induction . Anticancer effects of the polysaccharide lentinan (1,3 beta-D-glucan) may be due to its ability to suppress cytochrome P450 1A enzymes that are known to metabolize procarcinogens to active forms . Polysaccharides SLNT1 and JLNT1 isolated from the mushroom also demonstrated antitumor effects by increasing serum IL-2 levels and TNF-α production, and by inducing apoptosis in tumor cells in mice.