Lung Oyster Mushrooms Love Coffee Grounds and Pomegranate Peels

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 🛡️ | Metabolic shield

• 🧘‍♀️ | Gut calmer

• 🛢️ | Oil eaters

Hi Shroomers. This week brings powerful mushroom science across health, legislation, and ecology — from protecting your liver and brain to cleaning up polluted water and petroleum waste. Here are the top stories shaping how fungi are changing medicine, sustainability, and our understanding of natural resilience.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Metabolic shield 🛡️ Polysaccharides from king bolete (Boletus edulis) blocked a key inflammatory pathway (RAGE–ROS–MAPK) tied to lipotoxicity and metabolic disease. In lab-grown liver cells, they reduced fat buildup, oxidative stress, and improved glucose uptake. In high-fat diet mice, injections of the extract reversed metabolic dysfunction and inflammation, pointing to its potential as a natural therapy for metabolic syndrome.

Liver protection 🥼 A special compound from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) protected the liver from chemical damage in lab tests. Researchers optimized the extraction to make the compound more potent, then tested it in a model of acute liver injury caused by CCl₄ — a harsh toxin often used to mimic real-world liver stress. The treatment boosted the body’s antioxidant defenses and reduced liver damage.

Antioxidant powerhouse 🌿 The oak mazegill mushroom (Daedalea quercina), found in Tunisia, showed strong natural defenses against oxidative stress, harmful bacteria, and cancer cell growth. Its extracts protected healthy cells while stopping the growth of cervical cancer cells in lab tests.

Reishi boost 🚀 Researchers developed a faster, more efficient way to extract polysaccharides from broken reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) spores, increasing both yield and potency. The improved method made the compound more soluble and enhanced its antioxidant activity, along with benefits for managing uric acid levels.

King oyster power 👑 Extracts from king oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii) grown in Algeria showed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The aqueous extract had high phenolic content and flavonoids, reduced oxidative stress, and lowered inflammation by nearly 60% at 1 mg/mL.

Immune support 🧬 β-glucans—natural compounds found in mushrooms, grains, and yeast—play a powerful role in regulating the immune system. This review highlights how their unique structures help activate immune pathways, including key receptors like Dectin-1 and TLRs, to boost defenses against infections and support balanced immunity. They also influence gut microbes and inflammation.

Melanin potential 🖤 Melanin from edible mushrooms—especially eumelanin—has strong antioxidant and protective properties. Recent advances show improved extraction methods that boost yield and stability, making it easier to use in real-world products. Beyond neutralizing free radicals, fungal melanin also shields against UV and radiation damage and supports liver protection. 

Brain health 🧠 Extracts from enoki mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes) powerfully protected and supported hippocampal neurons in lab tests. The extract increased neurite length to 168% of control, doubled dendritic branching, and improved neuron survival by 40% under oxidative stress. These effects were tied to activation of neurotrophic NTRK pathways, highlighting enoki’s potential to support brain health and resilience against degeneration.

Gut calmer 🧘‍♂️ A special polysaccharide from golden oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) eased gut inflammation and strengthened the intestinal barrier in ulcerative colitis models. The compound reduced body weight loss, lowered disease activity scores, and preserved colon length in treated mice. It also blocked inflammatory cytokines and regulated the NF-κB pathway, while protecting gut lining cells from damage.

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION 

Microdosing tested 💊 In two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, microdosing psilocybin did not produce consistent improvements in cognitive performance or mood. Participants (n ≈ 130 across both studies) showed no significant differences from placebo in attention, working memory, or emotional well-being after multiple weeks of dosing. While some reported mild positive experiences, these effects didn’t hold up statistically once placebo expectations were controlled for.

Skin defense 💧 Psilocybin helped protect human skin fibroblasts (BJ5Ta) from accelerated aging triggered by high sugar and fat exposure. Treated cells showed higher survival rates, reduced oxidative stress, and lower markers of senescence, including decreased SA-β-gal activity and lower expression of p21 and p16. Psilocybin also boosted antioxidant enzyme activity and improved mitochondrial health.

Stress hormone shift ⚡️ A systematic review of clinical and preclinical studies found that psilocybin can modulate the HPA axis, which regulates the body’s stress response. Across multiple trials in people with major depressive disorder, psilocybin treatment was linked to balanced cortisol and ACTH levels and improved regulation of stress-related pathways. This modulation may be one way psilocybin supports mood stabilization and reduces depressive symptoms.

Predicting treatment response 📣 A systematic review found that biological markers like brain activity patterns, inflammatory signals, and hormone changes may help predict who responds best to serotonergic psychedelic therapies such as psilocybin and ayahuasca. Consistent signals included changes in functional brain connectivity (especially in emotion-regulating regions) and modulation of cortisol levels. These markers could support more personalized psychedelic treatments for depression.

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

Water cleanup 🌊 A new biochar made from waste mushroom substrate and ferrihydrite removed both methylene blue dye and arsenic from contaminated water with impressive efficiency. The material achieved 100% dye removal through hydroxyl radical oxidation and maintained over 92% efficiency after 7 reuse cycles, showing strong stability. It also reduced both As(III) and As(V), though removal rates dropped as arsenic concentrations increased due to competition between pollutants.

Hormone cleanup 🧼 18 different mushrooms were tested for their ability to clean water polluted with a synthetic hormone (EE2) often found in the environment. All could help remove it, and six mushrooms cleared 100% of the hormone in just 3 days. Shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus) showed especially strong results, producing high levels of helpful enzymes that break down pollutants.

Enzyme power 💥 Two common fungi, oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) and turkey tail (Trametes versicolor), were optimized to produce very high levels of laccase, an enzyme that breaks down pollutants and dyes. Using simple, low-cost ingredients, researchers reached 374,000 U/L of laccase in 20 days. The Trametes enzyme stayed stable at higher temperatures, making it especially useful for treating industrial wastewater and breaking down plant biomass.

Living sand 🏗️ Researchers combined fungal mycelium with microbial nanocellulose to make ordinary sand stronger, more stable, and better at holding water. The fungi (Schizophyllum commune strains) and bacteria (Komagataeibacter medellinensis) grew through the sand, creating natural fiber networks that boosted cohesion and reduced erosion. This “living sand” could be used in sustainable construction, erosion control, and water retention projects, offering a greener alternative to conventional building materials.

Battery power 🔋 Scientists turned oak mushroom waste into a special carbon coating that made lithium batteries work better and last longer. The mushroom-based layer trapped harmful compounds that normally drain power, helping the battery keep about twice as much energy after 100 uses.

Coffee waste ☕ Mixing spent coffee grounds with pomegranate peels created the best growing substrate for oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius). This combo led to the fastest growth (20.3 days), highest yield (260 g/bag), and top efficiency (52%), outperforming other agricultural waste mixes.

Natural protectors 🍎 Combining UV light with reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) extract kept fruit fresher for longer by significantly reducing fungal contamination. After 7 days of storage, treated fruit showed only 10–15% fungal growth, compared to 60–80% in untreated fruit, with noticeably lower weight loss and spoilage rates. The method was particularly effective against common post-harvest fungi like Aspergillus and Penicillium species.

Oil eaters 🛢️ Filamentous fungi collected from a petroleum waste landfill produced powerful natural bioemulsifiers capable of breaking down oils and aiding environmental cleanup. All isolates emulsified motor oil with over 90% efficiency, and the emulsions stayed stable for up to three months. Some strains also worked under harsh conditions like 30% salinity and 121 °C, showing strong potential for use in industrial and pollution cleanup applications.

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