Yunzhi mushroom may be beneficial in fight against tumours

Earlier this year two US veterinary doctors conducted a study to assess the anti-tumour and survival effects of yunzhi, a mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years for its apparent immune-boosting properties.

The doctors tested it on a small group of cancerous dogs, and achieved results similar, if not better, than results obtained with standard chemotherapy.

Dorothy Cimino Brown and Jennifer Reetz, both from the Department of Clinical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, believe their work may provide enough evidence to provoke a potential shift from reliance on cytotoxic [toxic to cells] therapies to a focus on complementary compounds. This implies potential advances for cancer curative therapies in human and animal health.

In the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the yunzhi mushroom, Coriolus versicolor also known as "turkey tail" for its uncanny resemblance to one, was boiled to release its restorative qi properties. Past studies have already indicated, but not given clear evidence, that polysaccharopeptide (PSP), a bioactive agent produced from the mushroom, inhibits the growth of induced tumours in animals.

PSP has been widely used in clinical trials in Japan, the mainland and Hong Kong as an alternative method to boost immune status. It has also been used to alleviate chemotherapy symptoms in patients with small-cell lung, oesophageal, breast and gastric cancers. But to date, trials have lacked clear evidence of anti-tumour effects in humans.