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Copyright @ Pol J Cosmetol
Pol J Cosmetol 2015, 18(1): 11-15pl  Fruiting bodies of fungi in medicine, dietetics and cosmeticsMarcin Szymański, Marta Sobota Katedra i Zakład Farmakognozji, Uniwersytet Medyczny w Poznaniu Summary Fungi are one of the largest groups of organisms. Their spores can be found in the air at an altitude of over 5000 m and Saccharomycetaceae are present in the sea at a depth of 4600 m. They are valued for their peculiar, absolutely unique taste and aroma given to dishes. The chemical composition of the fruit bodies of fungi is very attractive from the point of view of nutrition. Mushrooms are a source of vitamins, protein, fiber, unsaturated fatty acids and elements. They play an important role in medicine. Many species of basidiomycetes are a source of compounds with the following activity: antitumor, immunostimulant, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant or lowering blood cholesterol levels. Despite their numerous positive properties, fruiting bodies of mushrooms or their extracts are used in cosmetics very rarely. The most commonly applied species are Shitake and Reishi mushrooms, extracts from yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces, Torulopsis and Torula. Reishi and Shitake mushrooms, found in East Asia, Japan and China, have for many centuries been used in medicine for a wide range of ailments, as "the elixir of life". Currently, both are derived from cultivated areas, as well as from natural positions. Key words: fungi, dietetics, medicine, cosmetics |