Taiwanofungus camphoratus

Taiwanofungus camphoratus, also known as stout camphor fungus, is a species of fungus that is endemic to Taiwan, where it grows only on the endemic aromatic tree Cinnamomum kanehirae, causing a brown heart rot.

Taiwanofungus camphoratus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Polyporales
Genus: Taiwanofungus
Species:
T. camphoratus
Binomial name
Taiwanofungus camphoratus
(M.Zang & C.H.Su) Sheng H.Wu, Z.H.Yu, Y.C.Dai & C.H.Su (as comphoratus) (1994)
Synonyms[1]
List
  • Antrodia camphorata (M.Zang & C.H.Su) Sheng H.Wu, Ryvarden & T.T.Chang (1997)
  • Antrodia cinnamomea T.T. Chang & W.N. Chou (1995)
  • Ganoderma camphoratum M.Zang & C.H.Su (1990)
  • Ganoderma comphoratus
  • Taiwanofungus comphoratus

Traditional medicine

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It is used in Taiwanese traditional medicine as a purported remedy for cancer, hypertension, and hangover.[2] The annual market is worth over $100 million (US) in Taiwan alone. The 32.15 Mb genome containing 9,254 genes has been sequenced.[3]

Taiwanofungus camphoratus has been found to produce anti-obesogenic, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects in high-fat diet-fed mice.[4]

Chemical constituents

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Antcin B, antrodioxolanone, antrocamphin B, antroquinonol, antrocamphins, zhankuic acids, and other antcins have been reported as constituents of Taiwanofungus camphoratus.

Ecological concern

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Because of its use as an herbal remedy, fruiting bodies of the fungus can fetch high prices. Good quality fruiting bodies were reported to cost as much as US$15,000/kg in 1997, before artificial cultivation methods were developed.[5] Some have illegally farmed the fungus in the forests of Taiwan by hollowing out endangered stout camphor trees (Cinnamomum kanehirae).[6] This is despite the equal potency of T. camphotatus grown in a laboratory.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Taiwanofungus camphoratus". NCBI Taxonomy. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2 October 2017. Antrodia camphorata synonym: Taiwanofungus comphoratus synonym: Ganoderma comphoratus synonym: Ganoderma camphoratum synonym: Antrodia cinnamomea
  2. ^ Liu, Y. W.; et al. (2012). "Protective effects of Antrodia cinnamomea against liver injury". Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. 2 (4): 284–294. doi:10.1016/s2225-4110(16)30114-6. PMC 3942906. PMID 24716143.
  3. ^ Lu, MY.; Fan, WL.; Wang, WF.; Chen, T.; Tang, YC.; Chu, FH.; Chang, TT.; Wang, SY.; Li, MY.; Chen, Y. H.; Lin, Z. S.; Yang, K. J.; Chen, S. M.; Teng, Y. C.; Lin, Y. L.; Shaw, J. F.; Wang, T. F.; Li, W. H. (Oct 2014). "Genomic and transcriptomic analyses of the medicinal fungus Antrodia cinnamomea for its metabolite biosynthesis and sexual development". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 111 (44): E4743–52. Bibcode:2014PNAS..111E4743L. doi:10.1073/pnas.1417570111. PMC 4226107. PMID 25336756.
  4. ^ C-J Chang; C-C Lu; C-S Lin; J Martel; Y-F Ko; DM Ojcius; T-R Wu; Y-H Tsai; T-S Yeh; J-J Lu; H-C Lai & JD Young (2018). "Antrodia cinnamomea reduces obesity and modulates the gutmicrobiota in high-fat diet-fed mice" (PDF). International Journal of Obesity. 2018: 231–243.
  5. ^ Wu SH, Ryvarden L, Chang TT (1997). "Antrodia camphorata ("niu-chang-chih"), new combination of a medicinal fungus in Taiwan". Bot Bull Acad Sin. 38: 273–275.
  6. ^ China Post news staff (12 March 2012). "Taitung takes action to help prevent loss of Ligavon's last ancient camphor". Taiwan: The China Post. Retrieved 12 March 2012. Many timber thieves drill away stout camphor trunks, collecting the fungi, selling the timber, and leaving gigantic "tunnels" in the enormous trees' trunks.
  7. ^ China Post news staff (2 March 2010). "Cultivated camphor fungi as effective as wild ones". Taiwan: The China Post. Retrieved 12 March 2012. The medical effect of wild stout camphor fungi is the same as cultivated ones, according to a study of the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hing University (NCHU).

Further reading

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  • Chang, Tun-Tschu, and Wang, Wu-Rong. "Basidiomatal formation of Antrodia cinnamomea on artificial agar media." Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica 46 (2005).
  • Yang, Fan-Chiang; Huang, Hui-Chin; Yang, Ming-Je (2003). "The influence of environmental conditions on the mycelial growth of Antrodia cinnamomea in submerged cultures". Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 33 (4): 395–402. doi:10.1016/S0141-0229(03)00136-4. ISSN 0141-0229.
  • Lin, Ting-Yu; Chen, Chieh-Yin; Chien, Shih-Chang; Hsiao, Wen-Wei; Chu, Fang-Hua; Li, Wen-Hsiung; Lin, Chin-Chung; Shaw, Jei-Fu; Wang, Sheng-Yang (2011). "Metabolite Profiles for Antrodia cinnamomea Fruiting Bodies Harvested at Different Culture Ages and from Different Wood Substrates". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 59 (14): 7626–7635. doi:10.1021/jf201632w. ISSN 0021-8561. PMID 21668009.
  • Chang, Tun-Tschu, and Wen-Neng Chou. "Antrodia cinnamomea reconsidered and A. salmonea sp. nov. on Cunninghamia konishii in Taiwan." Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica 45 (2004).
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