Turkey Tail

Trametes versicolor – Schmetterlingstramete – Kawaratake (Mushroom on the river bank) – Yun Zhi (Cloud Mushroom) – syn. Coriolus versicolor

The Immune-Boosting Mushroom

 

Interesting components

  • PSK – Krestin, BRM β-Glucan with 38% Protein:

    • Anti-tumor – Direct effect on tumor cells, prevents metastasis by modulating enzymes related to chemo- and radiotherapy (1). Reported efficacy against stomach, colon, esophageal, nasopharyngeal, lung, cervical, and breast cancers, and leukemia (2-6).

    • Improves blood vessel function, normalizes the spleen index (1).

    • Antibiotic – Enhances antibiotic effectiveness, increases sensitivity to resistant bacteria (1).

    • Antiviral – Modifies the HIV receptor or prevents virus binding to lymphocytes (1).

  • PSP – BRM Polysaccharide Peptide, 10% peptide and 90% polysaccharides: Anti-tumor agent effective against stomach, lung, ovarian, cervical, and esophageal cancers (2,4,6,7).

  • Rich in polyphenols and flavonoids: Strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects (8).

  • Coriolan – Polysaccharide with in vitro anti-tumor activity (1).

  • Nutritional Content: 87.2% moisture, 11% protein, 1.35-1.7% fat, 76% complex carbohydrates, ergosterol derivatives, provitamin D2, various B-group vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids (1,9).

 

Areas of action and applications

  • Strong immune-stimulating effect (2-6) – Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) showed increased NK cell counts after taking T. versicolor (1), while healthy patients taking PSP capsules exhibited increased T-helper cells, IL-2R, and INF-γ (10).

  • Complementary Cancer Treatment (2-5,11,12) – Officially approved in Japan as a complementary cancer therapy (7).

    • Improves quality of life in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (13).

    • Alleviates cancer-related symptoms such as pain, increases body weight, and improves well-being and performance status in lung cancer patients taking PSK (7,14).

    • PSK enhances the immune response and reduces bone marrow suppression (15) in cervical, esophageal, stomach, lung, and ovarian cancers, leukemia, liver, nasopharyngeal cancers (1,7,16). Increases immune cell counts (CD3, CD4) in breast and nasopharyngeal cancer patients after chemo- or radiotherapy, leading to faster immune system recovery (10,17,18). A higher overall treatment efficacy was observed in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, but not in patients with colon, gastrointestinal, or nasopharyngeal cancers (18).

    • PSK and PSP reduce chemo- and radiotherapy side effects (16), including fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, dry throat, spontaneous sweating, and pain (1,16).

    • Prolongs survival (7):

      • PSK increases 5-year survival rates for stomach (7,14), esophageal, nasopharyngeal, NSCLC (16), and stage III lung cancer (1), as well as breast (1,16) and colorectal cancers. The 5-year survival rate improved by 20%, and the 10-year survival rate by 17% (1,7,16), showing better outcomes after curative surgery (14).

      • PSP improved 5-year survival rates in esophageal (16), stomach, and colon cancer patients who underwent surgery (1).

      • On the contrary, several clinical studies reported no effect on reducing mortality risk in patients with breast, colon, esophageal, liver cell, or rectal cancers (18).

    • Reduces recurrence rate in stomach cancer patients taking PSK (7), but had no effect in breast, colon, liver cell, nasopharyngeal, and rectal cancers (18).

    • Reduces tumor growth, metastasis, and invasion depth in the intestinal wall of colorectal cancer patients taking PSK (1). Reduces low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in cervical cancer patients using a vaginal gel by 72% (1).

    • In-vitro and animal studies show anti-cancer activity against breast (16,19), colon (19,20), stomach, cervical, lung (19), prostate (19,21), hepatocellular carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, leukemia (19), and melanoma (1,19).

  • Infectious Diseases:

    • Viral Infections:

      • HIV – In vitro shows inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase, lymphocyte binding, and cell-to-cell infection. Clinical studies show improved immune status and HIV-related Kaposi's sarcoma (2-4,6).

      • Chronic Hepatitis B – Clinical studies indicate efficacy in reducing serum ALT levels, correcting impaired immunity, and long-term safety (22).

      • Influenza – Effective against the virus in vitro (3,23).

      • Herpesviridae family: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) shows efficacy in vitro (2,4,23) and alleviated symptoms of genital warts in a case report (1). Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) efficacy demonstrated in vitro (3,4).

      • Human papillomavirus (HPV) – Clinical studies report a reduction in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (CIN/LSIL) (2,6) and up to 90% elimination of the virus in oral HPV infections when combined with G. lucidum (10).

    • Antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo (3,6).

    • Antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo (3,6).

      • Candida albicans.

      • Aspergillus fumigatus.

  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) – Activates and strengthens the immune system in CFS patients (2-4,6).

  • Autoimmune Diseases (6) – Administration of T. versicolor improved conditions in patients with hypothyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, and Behcet's disease (1).

  • Prebiotic – Improves regulation of the human gut microbiome in healthy volunteers (24), in vivo (14), and in vitro (25,26).

  • Anti-inflammatory, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases associated with neuroinflammation (27) – Animal studies show reduced neuronal apoptosis in cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injury (CIRI) (28) and decreased inflammation in damaged brain regions, slowing degeneration in Parkinson’s disease (29), and significantly reducing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease (30).

  • Hepatoprotective in vivo (2-4,6).

  • Metabolic Syndrome – Lab and animal studies suggest potential in improving insulin sensitivity, serum lipid profiles, body weight, liver index, and diabetic cardiomyopathy (7,10).

  • Analgesic effect – Alleviates pain in animal models due to the presence of oleanolic acid (31) and upregulation of cannabinoid-2 receptors, reducing morphine tolerance (32).

  • Traditional Use in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine): Considered sweet and slightly warming, it penetrates the spleen and heart meridians and is believed to promote overall health, strength, and longevity (1,7).

    • Strengthens the immune system.

    • Treats cancer.

    • Treats infections and inflammation of the upper respiratory, urinary, and digestive tracts.

    • Increases energy and endurance.

    • Treats hepatitis B and chronic active hepatitis.

References

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

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

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

  5. 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

  6. Bianchi I, Marrocchesi R. Guarire con i funghi medicinali: proprietà terapeutiche e istruzioni per l’uso dei 12 funghi medicinali più importanti. Treviso: Editoriale Programma; 2015.

  7. Richard Bray. Medicinal Mushrooms: A Practical Guide to Healing Mushrooms (Urban Homesteading). Independently published; 2020. 229 p.

  8. 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

  9. Kıvrak I, Kivrak S, Karababa E. Assessment of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Turkey Tail Medicinal Mushroom Trametes versicolor (Agaricomycetes). Int J Med Mushrooms. 2020;22(6):559–71.

  10. Saleh MH, Rashedi I, Keating A. Immunomodulatory Properties of Coriolus versicolor: The Role of Polysaccharopeptide. Front Immunol. 2017;8:1087.

  11. Kidd PM. The use of mushroom glucans and proteoglycans in cancer treatment. Altern Med Rev. 2000 Feb;5(1):4–27.

  12. Eliza WLY, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov. 2012 Jan;6(1):78–87.

  13. Chay WY, Tham CK, Toh HC, Lim HY, Tan CK, Lim C, et al. Coriolus versicolor (Yunzhi) Use as Therapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Poor Liver Function or Who Are Unfit for Standard Therapy. J Altern Complement Med. 2017 Aug;23(8):648–52.

  14. Li X, Chen P, Zhang P, Chang Y, Cui M, Duan J. Protein‐Bound β‐glucan from Coriolus Versicolor has Potential for Use Against Obesity. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019 Apr;63(7):1801231.

  15. Winder M, Bulska-Będkowska W, Chudek J. The use of Hericium erinaceus and Trametes versicolor extracts in supportive treatment in oncology. Acta pharmaceutica (Zagreb, Croatia). 2021 Mar;71:1–16.

  16. 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.

  17. Torkelson CJ, Sweet E, Martzen MR, Sasagawa M, Wenner CA, Gay J, et al. Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Trametes versicolor in Women with Breast Cancer. ISRN Oncology. 2012 May 30;2012:1–7.

  18. Zhong L, Yan P, Lam WC, Yao L, Bian Z. Coriolus Versicolor and Ganoderma Lucidum Related Natural Products as an Adjunct Therapy for Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Front Pharmacol. 2019 Jul 3;10:703.

  19. 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.

  20. Roca-Lema D, Martinez-Iglesias O, Fernández de Ana Portela C, Rodríguez-Blanco A, Valladares-Ayerbes M, Díaz-Díaz A, et al. In Vitro Anti-proliferative and Anti-invasive Effect of Polysaccharide-rich Extracts from Trametes Versicolor and Grifola Frondosa in Colon Cancer Cells. Int J Med Sci. 2019;16(2):231–40.

  21. Shibu MA, Shanmugam T, Agrawal DC, Huang C-Y. Mushrooms: A Wealth of Resource for Prospective Stem Cell-Based Therapies. In: Agrawal DC, Dhanasekaran M, editors. Medicinal Mushrooms: Recent Progress in Research and Development [Internet]. Singapore: Springer; 2019 [cited 2022 Jan 17]. p. 187–205. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6382-5_6

  22. Park YM, Yoon SK, Park SH, Baeg NJ, Kim BS. Efficacy and Safety of Coriolus Versicolor Polysaccharide (Licovek) in the Treatment of Chronic Type B Hepatitis. J Korean Soc Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1993;1(1):45.

  23. 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

  24. Pallav K, Dowd SE, Villafuerte J, Yang X, Kabbani T, Hansen J, et al. Effects of polysaccharopeptide from Trametes Versicolor and amoxicillin on the gut microbiome of healthy volunteers: A randomized clinical trial. Gut Microbes. 2014 Jul;5(4):458–67.

  25. Remya VR, Chandra G, Mohanakumar KP. Edible Mushrooms as Neuro-nutraceuticals: Basis of Therapeutics. In: Agrawal DC, Dhanasekaran M, editors. Medicinal Mushrooms [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2019 [cited 2022 Jan 16]. p. 71–101. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-13-6382-5_2

  26. Yu Z-T, Liu B, Mukherjee P, Newburg DS. Trametes versicolor extract modifies human fecal microbiota composition in vitro. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2013 Jun;68(2):107–12.

  27. 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

  28. Li L, Li Y, Miao C, Liu Y, Liu R. Coriolus versicolor polysHere’s the remainder of your references list, translated into English as requested:

  29. D’Amico R, Trovato Salinaro A, Fusco R, Cordaro M, Impellizzeri D, Scuto M, et al. Hericium erinaceus and Coriolus versicolor Modulate Molecular and Biochemical Changes after Traumatic Brain Injury. Antioxidants. 2021 Jun 2;10(6):898.

  30. Rai SN, Mishra D, Singh P, Vamanu E, Singh MP. Therapeutic applications of mushrooms and their biomolecules along with a glimpse of in silico approach in neurodegenerative diseases. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 May;137:111377.

  31. Hung P-H, Lin C-M, Tsai J-C, Hsu T-H, Chang S-L, Chen Y-I, et al. Acetylsalicylic acid-like analgesic effects of Trametes versicolor in Wistar rats. Biomed Pharmacother. 2020 Sep;129:110328.

  32. Wang K, Wang Z, Cui R, Chu H. Polysaccharopeptide from Trametes versicolor blocks inflammatory osteoarthritis pain-morphine tolerance effects via activating cannabinoid type 2 receptor. Int J Biol Macromol. 2019 Apr 1;126:805–10.