Shiitake mushrooms can reduce the effects of aging in new study

Hi there 🍄 

This week’s highlights include Beatrix Potter’s namesake fungus and a new project from Merlin Sheldrake and Bjork.

Aging well with the help of shiitake

Recent research published by a group of scientists at Universiti Malaya in Malaysia is a huge leap forward in understanding how oxidative stress affects aging and how powerful natural antioxidants are, especially those found in shiitake mushrooms.

🧠 The study’s methodology

• Researchers analyzed 14 different mushroom types to measure their ergothioneine levels using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Ergothioneine is a potent antioxidant that combats oxidative stress, a major contributor to aging.

• After identifying mushrooms with high ergothioneine, extracts were prepared and applied to neuronal brain cells in a lab setting to simulate aging.

• The brain cells underwent tests to assess cell viability, observe changes linked to aging, and check for oxidative stress.

💡 The results

• Shiitake mushrooms had the highest ergothioneine concentrations.

• Shiitake extract improved brain cell viability, reduced oxidative stress, and showed decreased signs of aging.

• The findings suggest protective benefits of shiitake mushrooms against brain aging.

Anti-aging research is topic that grows more important with each generation. We’re living longer as “evidenced by the life expectancy from 66.8 years in the year 2000 to 73.4 years in 2019,” per the study. With an aging population comes age-related diseases, especially neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Read more about the study.

Beatrix Potter’s namesake fungus

The discovery of the world’s earliest disease-causing fungus was unveiled with a name in honor of author Beatrix Potter. The discovery of Potteromyces asteroxylicola, a fossilized fungal plant pathogen from the Devonian period (over 407 million years ago), marks a significant advancement in our understanding of early terrestrial life and fungal evolution.

Unearthed in Scotland's Rhynie Chert, a site renowned for its exceptionally well-preserved fossils, this fungus is notable because:

• 🌍️ Potteromyces asteroxylicola gives insights into the early evolution of disease-related relationships in terrestrial ecosystems. Because the Rhynie Chert has such well-preserved fossils, scientists think that some of the earliest life forms can be found at the site.

• 🦠 This fungus forms a stroma-like structure with conidiophores (asexual spores) and invades the ancient plant Asteroxylon mackiei, causing dome-shaped surface projections on the plant. This indicates a pathogenic relationship with the plant, making it the earliest known fungus to do so.

• 🎨 Beatrix Potter is our featured artist of the week! Check out our profile at the the end of this newsletter to learn about her eternal connection to the world of mycology.

Read more about the ancient findings.

Around the web

• 🌀 Scientists at the University of Queensland decoded the genetics of over 100 magic mushroom strains, highlighting differences between wild and cultivated varieties. This groundbreaking research sets the stage for the development of "designer mushrooms" specifically tailored for mental health therapies.
  
  🍄 “The trailblazers who domesticated magic mushrooms have set the stage for how we can advance cultivation and innovate with shrooms as we improve our understanding of psilocybin and its benefits,” says Alistair McTaggart of The University of Queensland, Australia.

• 🎙️ Bjork has narrated Fungi: The Web of Life, an upcoming documentary about fungi from one of our favorite mycologists, Merlin Sheldrake. The singer announced the documentary on social media: “a long dormant dream of mine to narrate a nature documentary has come to fruition . and i am blessed it is not just any but featuring the magnificent merlin sheldrake and about fungi . i hope you will enjoy this.”
  
  📗 Sheldrake became mainstream mycology with the publication of his 2020 book, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. The new film, designed for IMAX screens and select theaters next year, relies on time-lapse photography to view the beautiful life bursts of complex life in fungi.

Featured artist: Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter, better known for her children's books, notably "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," also made significant science and art contributions to mycology. Despite the gender biases and limited educational opportunities for women during her time, Potter used her powerful art to produce detailed drawings of fungi, which she meticulously collected and studied under a microscope.

• 🔬 She was self-taught and conducted her own experiments on mushroom spores, developing theories about their reproduction and using her spore art to inform her practice.

• 🪨 Her lifelong interest in mycology flourished in 1892 after meeting Charles McIntosh, a respected mycologist, which led to a more formal fascination fungi and particularly, lichen, which weren’t well-understood.

• 📖 Her findings were presented in a paper titled “On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae,” complete with her detailed illustrations. However, her scientific work was initially dismissed by the Linnaean Society due to prevailing gender biases.

Despite these challenges, her accurate and detailed fungi illustrations remain valuable to mycologists and have gained recognition over time, cementing her as a naturalist and artist.