Open research questions in Fungal Biology and Applications

What the literature leaves open

• The study faced challenges in establishing quantitatively valid Os concentrations at the levels encountered. The study did not provide Os-specific whole-procedure recovery. The proximity of the Os responses to procedural and instrumental background remains an intrinsic constraint.

  Ultratrace Osmium in Wild Mushrooms: Environmental Occurrence and Chemical-Form-Dependent Molecular and Toxicological Interpretation · 2026 · DOI

• dedicated Os-specific methods with lower validated quantitative limits, - explicit recovery control, - preservation of chemical-speciation information, - quantitative environmental, exposure, and toxicological characterization

  Ultratrace Osmium in Wild Mushrooms: Environmental Occurrence and Chemical-Form-Dependent Molecular and Toxicological Interpretation · 2026 · DOI

• Exploring the potential mechanism of RD, especially AKI, - Searching for new therapeutic agents to prevent and control the occurrence and progression of AKI, - Investigating the long-term effects of C. sinensis, - Studying the effects of C. sinensis on different populations

  Efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in patients with renal dysfunction: a systematic-review and meta-analysis · 2025 · DOI

• small sample size of 18 participants, - limited to healthy younger adults, - acute effects only, - no investigation of chronic supplementation

  Acute effects of a standardised extract of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane mushroom) on cognition and mood in healthy younger adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study · 2025 · DOI

• investigate the effects of chronic supplementation of H. erinaceus, - examine the effects of H. erinaceus on cognitive function and mood in different populations, - further analysis of the task-specific benefits of H. erinaceus

  Acute effects of a standardised extract of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane mushroom) on cognition and mood in healthy younger adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study · 2025 · DOI

• Poor bioavailability of high-molecular-weight polysaccharides. Significant interspecies variability in compound content and activity. Lack of standardization protocols for multi-compound formulations. Limited pharmacokinetic data in human populations. Regulatory frameworks for multicompound natural products remain underdeveloped.

  From functional foods to immunotherapeutic agents: mechanistic insights into medicinal mushroom bioactives in chronic inflammation management · 2025 · DOI

• Development of predictive biomarker panels identifying patient subgroups likely to respond to specific mushroom preparations - Validation of optimal compound combinations through systematic interaction studies - Long-term safety evaluation in diverse patient populations

  From functional foods to immunotherapeutic agents: mechanistic insights into medicinal mushroom bioactives in chronic inflammation management · 2025 · DOI

• Basidiomycete fungi are an underexplored source of specialized metabolites with significant biotechnological potential.

  The coculture of Fomitopsis betulina with Escherichia coli induces a nutritional stress and triggers secondary metabolism pathways. · 2026 · DOI

• However, the environmental cues that activate their biosynthetic pathways remain poorly understood.

  The coculture of Fomitopsis betulina with Escherichia coli induces a nutritional stress and triggers secondary metabolism pathways. · 2026 · DOI

• Unlike plants, the number of pharmacopoeial monographs on fungal raw materials (fruit bodies, mycelium, extracts) is very low, and unified approaches to quality assessment are lacking.

  Medicinal mushrooms and their place in pharmacopoeial monographs from different countries (review) · 2026 · DOI

• Although the mushroom is considered edible, its nutrient composition has not yet been studied.

  Nutrient composition of Mycetinis scorodonius fruiting bodies and induction of sulfur-containing aroma compounds in surface mycelium · 2026 · DOI

• The evolutionary and domestication history of mushroom-forming fungi remains poorly understood despite their ecological and economic significance.

  Genomic signatures of evolution and domestication in the button mushroom Agaricus bisporus · 2026 · DOI

• Numerous studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effects of the traditional Chinese medicinal fungus Sanghuangporus vaninii on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

  Anti-diabetic effects of Dachaihu decoction combined with Sanghuangporus vaninii: insights from network pharmacology, intestinal flora, and liver metabolomics · 2025 · DOI

• Despite the extensive applications and increasing reports of γ-pyrones, their systematic chemistry, manufacturing, and therapeutic significance, especially in plant pathogenic fungi, remain inadequately understood.

  Plant Pathogenic Fungi: A Treasure Trove of Bioactive γ-Pyrones · 2025 · DOI

• At present, quantitative research on the composition of mycobiota in monogastric animals remains scarce, and investigations into the mechanisms underlying their metabolic functions are also relatively restricted.

  Composition, Influencing Factors, and Effects on Host Nutrient Metabolism of Fungi in Gastrointestinal Tract of Monogastric Animals · 2025 · DOI

• More clinical research on oyster mushrooms needs to be conducted, and future studies should investigate the preventive aspects, which aid in reducing the rate of cancer occurrence, and the positive impact in cancer patients to prove that oyster mushrooms are preventive as a functional food as well as a curing dietary supplement for cancer patients.

  The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy · 2025 · DOI

• lucidum and its active components to regulate gut flora, a systematic review of this mechanism is currently lacking.

  Regulatory effect of Ganoderma lucidum and its active components on gut flora in diseases · 2024 · DOI

• vaninii have remarkable therapeutic properties, but it remains unclear whether the mycelia may serve as a substitute for the fruiting bodies.

  Widely targeted metabolomics analysis of Sanghuangporus vaninii mycelia and fruiting bodies at different harvest stages · 2024 · DOI

• chanhua, the lack of an efficient and stable genetic transformation system has largely limited further research on the relationship between secondary metabolites and biosynthetic gene clusters in C.

  Establishment of a genetic transformation system for cordycipitoid fungus Cordyceps chanhua · 2024 · DOI

• However, the possible mechanism of immunomodulatory activity of Cordyceps militaris polysaccharide is not fully understood.

  Immunomodulatory Effect of Cordyceps militaris Polysaccharide on RAW 264.7 Macrophages by Regulating MAPK Signaling Pathways · 2024 · DOI

• However, the therapeutic potential of GLP in tumor immunotherapy has not been fully explored, especially in T cell-mediated antitumor immunity.

  Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharide Supplementation Significantly Activates T-Cell-Mediated Antitumor Immunity and Enhances Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy Efficacy in Colorectal Cancer · 2024 · DOI

• However, the pigment types and regulatory mechanisms behind color variation remain unclear.

  From White to Reddish-Brown: The Anthocyanin Journey in Stropharia rugosoannulata Driven by Auxin and Genetic Regulators · 2024 · DOI

• Through the comprehensive summary of the extraction, purification, and analysis of GLP and its future prospects, we hope that this review can provide valuable reference for the further study of GLP.

  A Review of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharide: Preparations, Structures, Physicochemical Properties and Application · 2024 · DOI

• This review addresses the gap in understanding how different dehydration methods influence dried mushrooms' nutritional quality and microbial safety, which is crucial for optimizing their processing and consumption.

  Impact of Dehydration Techniques on the Nutritional and Microbial Profiles of Dried Mushrooms · 2024 · DOI

• This paper offers insights for further research on the relevant calcium enrichment in microorganism cells.

  Calcium Transport and Enrichment in Microorganisms: A Review · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Fungal Biology and Applications

• Medicinal Mushrooms and Cancer Therapy: translating a traditional practice into Western medicine · Perspectives in biology and medicine · 2006 · 205 citations
• The Effect of Edible Mushroom on Health and Their Biochemistry · International Journal of Microbiology · 2022 · 160 citations
• Fungal bioremediation approaches for the removal of toxic pollutants: Mechanistic understanding for biorefinery applications · Chemosphere · 2024 · 126 citations
• Bioactive compounds and medicinal properties of Oyster mushrooms ( Pleurotus sp.) · Folia Horticulturae · 2018 · 113 citations
• Nutritional quality of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus) as affected by osmotic pretreatments and drying methods · Food Science & Nutrition · 2017 · 113 citations
• Mushrooms as Nutritional Powerhouses: A Review of Their Bioactive Compounds, Health Benefits, and Value-Added Products · Foods · 2025 · 103 citations
• The bioavailability of ergothioneine from mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) and the acute effects on antioxidant capacity and biomarkers of inflammation · Preventive Medicine · 2011 · 102 citations
• Assessing the nutritional quality of Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2024 · 101 citations
• Prunin: An Emerging Anticancer Flavonoid · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2025 · 96 citations
• Comprehensive review on oyster mushroom species (Agaricomycetes): Morphology, nutrition, cultivation and future aspects · Heliyon · 2024 · 83 citations

Most recent work

• Phytochemical Profiling and Bioactivity Evaluation of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi Mushroom) Fractions: In Vitro Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Antidiabetic Activities · Metabolites · 2026
• Ligninolytic Enzyme Content of Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus bisporus Extracts and In Vitro Rumen Fermentation of Fungal Extract‐Treated Wheat Straw · Food Science & Nutrition · 2026
• Multicomponent Ganoderma lucidum spore-based solid self-nanoemulsifying system of paclitaxel for improved lymphatic absorption and immune synergistic antitumor strategy · Journal of Nanobiotechnology · 2026
• ROS-responsive Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide nanocomposite targeting prosenescent oxidative stress niche for structural and functional diabetic tendon regeneration · Journal of Nanobiotechnology · 2026
• Altered Stereostructures of the DNA-Binding Domains of Variant Mating Proteins of Ophiocordyceps sinensis and the Wild Insect–Fungal Complex · Biology · 2026
• Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide-decorated extracellular vesicle enables synergistical antitumor immunotherapy · Materials Today Bio · 2026
• Reducing antinutrients and off-flavour volatiles in kidney bean powder through mushroom mycelium fermentation · Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies · 2026
• Comparative computational analysis of the hypolipidaemic potential of Cordyceps militaris and Ophiocordyceps sinensis, with in vivo validation of cordycepin · Fitoterapia · 2026
• Comparative evaluation of Desmodesmus strains for lutein production under different cultivation conditions and carbon sources · Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology · 2026
• Differences in Nutritional Composition of Poria cocos Cultivated with Different Raw Materials Based on Non-Targeted Metabolomics Method · Journal of Fungi · 2026

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