Chaga

Inonotus obliquus – Clinker Polypore – Cinder Conk – Schiefer Schillerporling – Kabanoanatake – Bai Hua Rong / Hua Jie Kong Jun

“Gift of the Gods” – the King of Medicinal Mushrooms from Siberia

 

Interesting ingredients – more than 200 compounds (1)

  • Melanin-glucan complex (2) – The melanin of wild mushrooms is known as allomelanin (nitrogen-free complex melanin associated with polysaccharides and proteins, most commonly found in fungi (3)), while the melanin of cultivated mushrooms is classified as eumelanins—the most common form of natural melanin in humans (4)(1): protects against UV radiation through DNA repair, antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic (1,2,5–7), anti-inflammatory, antiviral, hypolipidemic, and immunomodulatory (8,9).

  • Triterpenoids:

    • Betulin and betulinic acid – when it grows on birches, the black charred parts contain up to 30% betulin (1): anti-tumoral/anticancer (10), antiviral (1), antioxidant (8,9), anti-inflammatory and wound healing (2,5,7)

    • Inotodiol – one of the lanostane triterpenoids found in the reddish-brown inner part of the mushroom and one of the most active ingredients (1): anti-inflammatory (11), anti-hyperglycemic, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant (7), and cancer growth inhibitory (5)

  • Inonotus polysaccharides: broad antiviral activity against Herpesvirus 1 (HSV-1), influenza viruses H3N2, and H5N6 (11,12), immune-stimulating, cancer growth inhibitory, and anti-hyperglycemic (5), anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, and anti-fatigue effects (8)

  • Tripeptides: antithrombotic (5)

  • Styrylpyrones (e.g., Inonoblin A): antioxidant and antiviral (1,5)

  • Ergosterol peroxide: anti-carcinogenic and anti-hyperglycemic (7)

  • Hispolon and hispidin: anti-tumoral (7)

  • Particularly rich in polyphenols: strongly antioxidant, anti-aging effect (1,5,8), sesquiterpenes and non-terpenoids – fatty acids (1)

  • Nutrient content: moisture 3.5%, crude protein 2.4% (more in the mycelium than in the fruiting bodies (1)), crude fat 1.7%, ash 10.4%, crude fiber 67.5%, reducing sugar 4.2%, polysaccharides 10.3%. (8)

Areas of action and applications

  • Gastrointestinal diseases (1,10,13)

    • Gastritis (11)

    • Gastric and duodenal ulcers (6,11,14)

    • Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) (15,16) – ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

  • Adjuvant in cancer treatment

    • Gastrointestinal cancer (11)

      • Colon cancer – ethanol extracts show antiproliferative effects in vitro and in vivo studies (1,17)

      • Hepatocarcinoma – water extracts show in vitro antitumor activity (17), I. obliquus polysaccharides (IOPS) show in vitro cytotoxicity (8)

    • Skin cancer (11)

      • Melanoma – water extracts inhibit cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo (1,17)

    • Lung cancer (11) – in vitro activity against non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) (1) and in vivo activity against lung and Lewis lung carcinoma (9,17,18)

    • Cervical cancer – anti-tumor activity in vitro (1)

    • Ovarian cancer – IOPS administration shows cytotoxicity in vitro (8)

    • Breast cancer – reported activity in vitro (19) and in vivo (17)

    • Neurogliocytoma – polysaccharide extracts show in vitro activity (17)

    • Osteosarcoma – regulates proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis in vitro (20)

    • Terminal cancer, regardless of tumor localization (6)

      • Improvement in general well-being

      • Slowing of tumor growth

      • Alleviation of tumor pain

      • Alleviation of chemotherapy side effects

    • Perspectives: Raw extracts of I. obliquus (CEIO) could reduce the incidence of tumor formation in healthy individuals. In patients who have achieved complete remission through chemotherapy, CEIO administration could inhibit the activation of upstream oncogenic signals and thus prevent metastasis. In patients undergoing chemotherapy, CEIO could not only chemosensitize tumor cells and thereby enhance the chemotherapeutic effect, but also help restore weakened immunity and protect against ulcerative damage to the gastrointestinal tract and other side effects caused by chemotherapy (21). So far, all cancer studies conducted in vivo and in vitro are quite limited and only provide indications for comprehensive clinical trials.

  • Immunomodulation and strong antioxidant effects (1,5,11)

  • Skin diseases

    • Acne, atopic dermatitis, eczema, dermatitis (2,6)

    • Psoriasis, especially with additional gastrointestinal complaints (1,6,10,14,22)

  • Antiviral

    • Herpes simplex virus (HSV) – antiviral efficacy demonstrated in vitro (10–12)

    • Influenza (1,2,5,11,12)

    • HIV (1,10,12) from 1998

  • Chronic fatigue syndrome – studies conducted with animal models (2,5,23)

  • Neuroprotective in neurodegenerative diseases, e.g., Alzheimer's disease (24): In vitro and in vivo studies have successfully demonstrated the preventive and protective effects of IOPS against Alzheimer's by modulating oxidative stress in the brain (24,25), activating blood circulation in brain tissue, and increasing bioelectrical activity in the cortex (1).

  • Metabolic syndrome: antidiabetic effect, which lowers blood sugar levels through strong inhibition of alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase in vitro and in vivo models (1,26,27), shows blood fat regulating effects (1).

  • Allergies and related diseases: Administration of IOPS could treat atopic dermatitis, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, or asthma, especially in systemic allergies caused by ovalbumin (OVA) in animal experiments (8,13).

  • Prebiotic: Animal studies show strong positive effects on the regulation of gut microbiota by immunomodulating glucans (8,13).

  • Hepatoprotective: Toxoplasma-infected mice show liver-protective effects (8).

  • Traditional use (1,8,16,25,28):

    • Rheumatic pain

    • Various cancers and tumors, including Hodgkin's disease, rectal carcinoma, lip tumors, gastrointestinal cancers

    • Tuberculosis

    • Worms

    • Gastrointestinal problems – gastritis, ulcers, liver diseases

    • Blood purifier, tonic

    • Pain-relieving

    • Cardiovascular diseases

    • Metabolic syndrome – diabetes, fat metabolism disorder

    • Wound care

    • Anti-inflammatory

    • Antibacterial

  1. Rogers RD. The fungal pharmacy: the complete guide to medicinal mushrooms and lichens of North America. Berkeley, Calif: North Atlantic Books; 2011. 591 p.

  2. Rebensburg P, Kappl A. Gesund mit Heilpilzen: Immunsystem stärken, Krankheiten heilen und Beschwerden lindern. München: riva; 2020. 271 p.

  3. McCallum NC, Son FA, Clemons TD, Weigand SJ, Gnanasekaran K, Battistella C, et al. Allomelanin: A Biopolymer of Intrinsic Microporosity. J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Mar 17;143(10):4005–16.

  4. Melanin. In: Wikipedia [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Dec 27]. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melanin&oldid=1057022865

  5. Guthmann J. Heilende Pilze: die wichtigsten Arten der Welt: Beschreibung - Inhaltsstoffe - Wirkung. 2., aktualisierte und erweiterte Auflage. Wiebelsheim: Quelle & Meyer Verlag; 2021. 446 p.

  6. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (review). Pharm Chem J. 2006 Oct;40(10):560–8.

  7. Duru KC, Kovaleva EG, Danilova IG, van der Bijl P. The pharmacological potential and possible molecular mechanisms of action of Inonotus obliquus from preclinical studies. Phytother Res. 2019 Aug;33(8):1966–80.

  8. Lu Y, Jia Y, Xue Z, Li N, Liu J, Chen H. Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application. Polymers. 2021 Jan;13(9):1441.

  9. Wold CW, Gerwick WH, Wangensteen H, Inngjerdingen KT. Bioactive triterpenoids and water-soluble melanin from Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) with immunomodulatory activity. Journal of Functional Foods. 2020 Aug;71:104025.

  10. Martin Powell. Medicinal mushrooms. [Internet]. Place of publication not identified: Mycology Press; [cited 2021 Dec 27]. Available from: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11571096

  11. Haertel B, Rimböck M, Neuerer T. Vitalpilze – modulierend - aufbauend - stärkend. Salzburg: Druckerei Roser GmbH; 2019.

  12. Pradeep P, Manju V, Ahsan MF. Antiviral Potency of Mushroom Constituents. In: Agrawal DC, Dhanasekaran M, editors. Medicinal Mushrooms [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2019 [cited 2021 Dec 27]. p. 275–97. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-6382-5_10

  13. Badalyan SM, Barkhudaryan A, Rapior S. Recent Progress in Research on the Pharmacological Potential of Mushrooms and Prospects for Their Clinical Application. In: Agrawal DC, Dhanasekaran M, editors. Medicinal Mushrooms [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2019 [cited 2021 Dec 27]. p. 1–70. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-6382-5_1

  14. Frost M. Three Popular Medicinal Mushroom Supplements: A Review of Human Clinical Trials. :16.

  15. Najafzadeh M, Reynolds PD, Baumgartner A, Jerwood D, Anderson D. Chaga mushroom extract inhibits oxidative DNA damage in lymphocytes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Biofactors. 2007;31(3–4):191–200.

  16. Szychowski KA, Skóra B, Pomianek T, Gmiński J. Inonotus obliquus – from folk medicine to clinical use. J Tradit Complement Med. 2020 Aug 22;11(4):293–302.

  17. Nowakowski P, Markiewicz-Żukowska R, Bielecka J, Mielcarek K, Grabia M, Socha K. Treasures from the forest: Evaluation of mushroom extracts as anti-cancer agents. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Nov;143:112106.

  18. Baek J, Roh H-S, Baek K-H, Lee S, Lee S, Song S-S, et al. Bioactivity-based analysis and chemical characterization of cytotoxic constituents from Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) that induce apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2018 Oct 5;224:63–75.

  19. Wong JH, Ng TB, Chan HHL, Liu Q, Man GCW, Zhang CZ, et al. Mushroom extracts and compounds with suppressive action on breast cancer: evidence from studies using cultured cancer cells, tumor-bearing animals, and clinical trials. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020 Jun;104(11):4675–703.

  20. Su B, Yan X, Li Y, Zhang J, Xia X. Effects of Inonotus obliquus Polysaccharides on Proliferation, Invasion, Migration, and Apoptosis of Osteosarcoma Cells. Alhosin M, editor. Analytical Cellular Pathology. 2020 Nov 17;2020:1–7.

  21. Zhao Y, Zheng W. Deciphering the antitumoral potential of the bioactive metabolites from medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Jan 30;265:113321.

  22. Dosychev EA, Bystrova VN. [Treatment of psoriasis using “Chaga” fungus preparations]. Vestn Dermatol Venerol. 1973 May;47(5):79–83.

  23. Zhang C-J, Guo J-Y, Cheng H, Li L, Liu Y, Shi Y, et al. Spatial structure and anti-fatigue of polysaccharide from Inonotus obliquus. Int J Biol Macromol. 2020 May 15;151:855–60.

  24. Lee W, Fujihashi A, Govindarajulu M, Ramesh S, Deruiter J, Majrashi M, et al. Role of Mushrooms in Neurodegenerative Diseases. In: Agrawal DC, Dhanasekaran M, editors. Medicinal Mushrooms [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2019 [cited 2021 Dec 27]. p. 223–49. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-6382-5_8

  25. Han Y, Nan S, Fan J, Chen Q, Zhang Y. Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides protect against Alzheimer’s disease by regulating Nrf2 signaling and exerting antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2019 Jun 15;131:769–78.

  26. Stojkovic D, Smiljkovic M, Ciric A, Glamoclija J, Van Griensven L, Ferreira ICFR, et al. An insight into antidiabetic properties of six medicinal and edible mushrooms: Inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase linked to type-2 diabetes. South African Journal of Botany. 2019 Jan 1;120:100–3.

  27. Wang C, Li W, Chen Z, Gao X, Yuan G, Pan Y, et al. Effects of simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro on the chemical properties, antioxidant activity, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of polysaccharides from Inonotus obliquus. Food Research International. 2018 Jan 1;103:280–8.

  28. Stajić M, Vukojević J, Ćilerdžić J. Mushrooms as Potential Natural Cytostatics. In: Agrawal DC, Dhanasekaran M, editors. Medicinal Mushrooms [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2019 [cited 2021 Dec 27]. p. 143–68. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-6382-5_4