Active compounds from shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes)

Lentinus edodes, po naše užitni nazobčanec ali šitake, je jedilna goba, vedno bolj zaželena v kulinariki zaradi svojega okusa in ugodne hranilne sestave. Je druga najpogosteje gojena goba na svetu. Izvira iz Vzhodne Azije, kjer jo že stoletja uporabljajo za zdravljenje nekaterih bolezni. V zadnjih letih se tudi pri nas opravlja vedno več raziskav z aktivnimi učinkovinami šitak ter možnosti uporabe teh. V kliničnih študijah najbolj raziskan je polisaharid lentinan, ki preko aktivacije gostiteljevega imunskega odziva deluje protitumorsko. Na Kitajskem in Japonskem je lentinan registrirano zdravilo, ki se uporablja kot podporna terapija za zdravljenje raka, v raziskavah pa so odkrili tudi druge možnosti uporabe. Učinkovina ima strukturo trojne vijačnice, ki ima velik vpliv na protitumorsko delovanje. Da se struktura in aktivnost polisaharida ohranita, je potrebno izbrati pravilno metodo ekstrakcije in čiščenja. Poleg lentinana so v šitakah prisotni tudi KS-2-α-manan peptid, eritadenin, lektin, lentionin, lentin ter ekstrakti, med katere sodijo LEM, LEP, EP3, EPS4 in nekaj drugih. Naštete učinkovine imajo različne učinke, kot so protivirusni, protibakterijski, protiglivni, kardioprotektivni, hipolipidemični, protidiabetični, hepatoprotektivni ter antioksidativni učinki. Nekatere pa, tako kot lentinan, delujejo imunomodulatorno in protitumorsko. Mehanizmi, kako učinkovine delujejo po vnosu v telo, pri večini še niso znani. Na tem področju je še veliko prostora za nadaljnje raziskave, opisane učinkovine pa imajo potencial za klinično uporabo.Lentinus edodes or shiitake is an edible mushroom with a desirable taste and excellent nutritional value. It is the second most cultivated mushroom worldwide, native in Eastern Asia and has been used for centuries in the traditional medicine of the countries in the Far East for healing some diseases. In the past few years there is more research on the possible use of its bioactive compounds even in the Western countries. The most common compound is lentinan, a polysaccharide that exerts antitumor activity via activation of the immune response. It is registered as a drug in China and Japan for treating cancer as an addition to chemotherapy. During the research, additional activities of lentinan have been found. This compound has a triple helix structure, which is important for its antitumor activity. Therefore, the proper extraction and purification are of great importance to get the best properties for the application. Besides lentinan, there are other molecules present in shiitake mushrooms, such as KS-2-α-mannan-peptide, eritadenine, lectin, lenthionine and lentinand various extracts, such as LEM, LEP, EP3, EPS4. These compounds have various effects: antitumor, immunomodulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, cardiovascular and hypolipidemic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and antioxidant. The mechanisms of their action after they enter the body are mostly unknown. There is a lot of possibilities for further research and possible clinical use of these compounds