Download Extract Based on the Medicinal Mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill

Extract Based on the Medicinal Mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill decreases Cytokines and Calprotectin
levels in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease
8th of December 2010, Oslo, Norway – ImmunoPharma is pleased to announce that a new study on the
immunomodulatory medical mushroom extract Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) demonstrated a reduction
in blood cytokine (cell-derived signal substance) levels in humans indicating an anti-inflammatory effect.
The present aim of the study performed by Førland et al. (2010) was to investigate whether the AbMbased extract, AndosanTM, can influence and hopefully inhibit the production level of pro-inflammatory
cytokines that drive inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). One outcome, especially in ulcerative colitis
(UC), would then be a reduction in the usually elevated levels of the inflammatory marker, calprotectin,
in feces due to the increased numbers of white blood cells (granulocytes) found in the bowel. Patients
with IBD such as UC and Crohn’s disease (CD) have increased concentrations of pro-inflammatory
cytokines in serum as well as in the mucosa in the intestines where the diseases take place. Whereas one
in CD can find patches of inflamed mucosa in all segments of the intestines, the dominant picture in UC is
an inflamed colon full of ulcers.
Twelve patients diagnosed with UC and 12 patients with CD, volunteered to participate in the study of
oral intake for 12 days of AndoSan™; 20 ml thrice daily, which is the normal dose used when the extract
is taken as health food. Participants were asked to avoid mushroom-containing foods for 3 days prior to
and during the experimental period.
The present paper demonstrates a reduction in several cytokines in serum of UC and DC patients after 12
days of intake of the mixed Basidiomycetes mushroom extract, AndoSanTM. Patients with UC also
presented a concomitant reduction in their high levels of fecal calprotectin.
Similar results showing such decline in cytokine levels have been demonstrated in healthy volunteers
consuming AndoSanTM in a similar experimental set up (Johnson et al, 2009). Collectively, the findings
support the notion of a general anti-inflammatory and stabilizing effect of AndoSanTM on cytokine
release in individuals with good health or IBD.
In conclusion, consumption of an AbM-based medicinal mushroom extract for 12 days by IBD patients
resulted in no side effects and a decline of especially pro-inflammatory and chemotactic (white blood
cell-recruiting) cytokines as well as a reduction of fecal calprotectin in patients with UC.
About Agaricus blazei Murill
Agaricus blazei Murill (jap.: Himematsutak of the Basidiomycetes family, a.k.a. Agarricus braziliensis and
agaricus subrufescenc), is an edible, medicinal mushroom originating from the costal rain forest in Brazil.
It has been traditionally used as a natural treatment against a wide range of diseases, including: cancer,
chronic hepatitis and diabetes. Re-discovered and popularized in the 1960’s by Takatoshi Furumoto,
Agaricus (later identified as Agaricus blazei Murill by a Belgian botanist Heinemann) was brought to
Japan for further scientific research. Its abundance in immune-modulating substances and unique health
potential arouse interest of the international medical society.
Other interesting medicinal Basidiomycetes mushrooms that have been studied are Grifola frondosa (Gf)
(Maitake) and Hericeum erinaceum (He) (Yamabushitake).
The last decades of studies and clinical trials discovered promising anti-cancer properties of AbM,
demonstrating its significant potency in stimulating healthy responses of the immune system. Clinical
research has shown that AbM has the ability to enhance the body's own killer cells (NK cells) and T-cell
activity and enables more immune cells to attack cancer cells; Agaricus has also been shown to have
effects that reduce the size of existing cancer tumors. This is due to the fact that Agaricus blazei Murill is
rich in the immune-stimulatory polysaccharides of β(1-3)- and β(1-6)-D-glucans with antitumor activity,
probably secondary to modulation of NK-cells and monocytes/macrophages of native immunity.
*Publication pending in Scandinavian Journal of Immunology. 2011 Jan;73(1):66-75. doi: 10.1111/j.13653083.2010.02477.x.