|
Maitake is an edible and medicinal mushroom grows in the northern
part of the Temperate Zone in the Northern Hemisphere found in Japan, China,
Europe and North America. Wild Maitake can be harvested in
September and October. It forms large hands, mainly near the roots of big fagaceous
trees such as white oak, beech, and tanbark oak. It grows in persimmon, plum,
apricot, Prunus ume and oak trees. It invades the core of these trees. It decomposes
lignin and leaves the cellulose, which is the cause of so-called white rot.
Wild Maitake has a good taste, a crisp texture, and an excellent
aroma. It is considered the first-rank edible mushroom.
Bioactivities: Maitake has been prized not only for its tastes
but also for its medicinal value. There have been many anecdotal reports on
various medicinal properties of Maitake, and since 1980s when
artificial cultivation was commercialized and Maitake became
more easily available, a variety of pharmacological effects of Maitake
were reported by Japanese scientists as shown below:
Immune boosting activity
• Anti-tumor activity
• Blood glucose lowering activity
• Serum lipids normalizing activity
• Blood pressure lowering activity
• Hepato-protective activity
• Weight reduction activity, etc.
General components: As the Maitake grows
the content of crude protein rapidly decreases while the total carbohydrate
weight rapidly increases. Fresh Maitake fruiting body at harvest
contains 91% moisture. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fiber are the components.
Vitamin B1, B2 and ergosterol (provitamin D) present in large amounts, but neither
vitamin A nor C is found.
Polysaccharides: Maitake contains following antitumor beta-D-Glucans:
Beta-(1-3)-D-Glucan with beta-(1-6)-branch, and
Beta-(1-6)-D-Glucan with beta-(1-3)-branch
Also Maitake contains heteroglycan and alpha-D-Glucan.
Free Sugars: Maitake contains trehalose, glucose and mannitol.
As Maitake grows the amount of mannitol and glucose decrease
while that of trehalose rapidly increases.
Inorganic Components: Maitake fruiting body is rich in potassium
and phosphorus, and contains lesser amounts of magnesium, calcium, sodium and
zinc.
Free Amino Acids: Glutamine is present in the largest amount,
followed by alanine, threonine, aspartic acid, valine, lysine and arginine.
Organic Acids: Malic acid accounts for about half of total
organic acids. Pyroglutamic acid, fumalic acid, succinic acid are other major
organic acids, and lactic acid, acetic acid, formic acid, citric acid and oxalic
acid are also contained in lesser amount.
Lipids: Lipid content is very low, however, triglycerides,
sterol lipids and sphingo lipids are contained.
Other components: Lectins and enzymes (cellulose, hemicellulase,
chitinase, amylase, pectinase, phenol oxidase, laccase, tyrosinase and peroxidase
are generally contained in fingi.
|
