Known in English as Turkey Tail,
Coriolus versicolor is a contender for the title "World's Most Common Mushroom." You can find it from tropical rain forests to the Siberian taiga, feasting on dead wood.
Considering the vast array of bacteria and other fungi it has to compete with for space, it stands to reason that it must possess a powerful immune system; an immune system with potentially powerful medicinal compounds for humans.
Traditional Chinese physicians frequently prescribe
Coriolus for hepatoma and some types of jaundice. [160] Modern medicine is best acquainted with it through Krestin, an Asian cancer drug based on the
Coriolus extracted compound PSK. [188]
Two studies out of Japan reported increased rate of survival from gastric cancer, among 486 patients, when PSK was added to the standard chemotherapy treatment. [161, 162, 163] PSK has also been reported to reduce cancer recurrence and metastasis. [161, 162, 164]
Two other compounds isolated from
Coriolus have demonstrated an inhibitory effect on leukemia. A polysaccharide named CVP exhibited an inhibitory effect on leukemia cell growth with no harmful effect to normal lymphocytes. [165, 166, 167] The small polysaccharide SPCV also showed leukemia proliferation inhibition. [168]
It appears that
Coriolus extract helps combat cancer in two ways:
1) By a direct inhibitory effect on the proliferation of cancer cells.
2) Through stimulating Natural Killer (NK) cells in humans. [169, 170, 171] NK cells are a vital part of the human immune system's cancer fighting arsenal.
Efficacy against different types of cancers varies. PSK is used in Asia for cervical cancer as an adjunct to radiation therapy. It has been linked to increased survival rate from that type of cancer. [134] It was also shown to decrease tumor growth in hormone responsive prostate cancer by a study at New York Medical College in 2001. [172]
PSK has also been tested with promising results against colon, lung and breast cancer. [25, 173] It appears to have no effect on Sarcoma 180. [174]
PSK is also a powerful antibiotic, specifically against
Listeria monocytogenes,
Candida albicans,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Escherichia coli,
Cryptococcus neoformans and
Staphylococcus aureus. [175, 176, 177, 178, 179]
Tests
in vitro (test tubes / Petri dishes - not live subjects) have even shown a compound (PSP) from
Coriolus versicolor extract to inhibit the replication [180] and infection of HIV. [181]
In a study conducted in 1995, PSK demonstrated effectiveness at normalizing the immune function of people with chronic rheumatoid arthritis. [182]
In the book
Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Paul Stamets mentions being aware of several individuals with Hepatitis C reporting relief of symptoms from using medicinal mushroom tea. He specifically relates a case of a man with swollen liver and spleen starting on a daily regimen of tea made from
Coriolus versicolor (Turkey Tail Mushroom) and
Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi). After two weeks, the swelling went down and liver enzymes normalized. His HCV value went from 1.3 million to 140,000. [183]
Coriolus versicolor is also a rich source of antioxidants and has been reported to help the spleen recover from radiation therapy induced injury. [189]
Finally, in the book
Mycelium Running, Paul Stamets lists two additional areas of promising research on
Coriolus versicolor: Kidney health and uterine cancer. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any medicinal mushroom or herb without prior approval by medical doctor.
Credit: Thank you to Paul Stamets for source material.
More Information:
Dr. Rafael currently specializes in researching and writing about medicinal fungi in partnership with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC, a US company offering
Coriolus extract (Stamets') and other medicinal mushrooms. For article references, please go to
Coriolus versicolor extract and click on any number indicating a reference.
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