Bio-fortified mushrooms in averting cardiovascular complications
By
Sadaf Saleem
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
In your plate, mushrooms always serve delightful and enjoying meal. Many of us used to praise it for its delicious taste or easy cultivation on inexpensive material like wheat, rice straw or cotton waste. Mushrooms are plenty good source of vitamin B and several essential minerals; phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. Apart of nutritional value several medicinal benefits of mushrooms increasing their popularity worldwide for being most economical and healthy food. Dozens of benefits from their extracted compounds as antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, anti hyper cholesterolic and anti arthritic effects may still unknown to many of us.
Poor diet that lacks essential nutrients especially deficient in trace minerals is most common cause of serious health ailments. Children are at higher risk as they deadly need a balanced diet for proper growth and development. In a broad perspective, almost 17% of human population is at risk of Zinc deficiency. A decreased intake of Zinc in diet can lead to improper brain functioning, impaired cognitive function and reduced immunity, dermatological problems and severe physical growth reductions. Selenium deficiency may results in gastrointestinal issues, diarrhoea, decreased thyroid function, hair loss and blotchy nails. Often you need to consult a doctor or dietitian for dietary changes and nutrient supplements to get enough nutrients in diet. Recently a number of research studies are focusing to supplement food with trace elements (Zn, Fe, Cu, Se). Hopefully, it could be better option to increase nutritional status and combat nutrient deficiency concerns even in far off poor areas.
Recently research findings published in “European Food Research and Technology” journal reveal edible mushroom bio fortification with Selenium exerts novel anti-tumor and immunomodulatory properties. Two edible mushroom species (P. ostreatus and P. eryngii) can be used in bio enrichment with Selenium and their extracts have some beneficial antioxidant effects on human platelets. After vessel wall injury, platelets activation cascade is regulated by prostacyclin (PGI2), adenosine, nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS signaling has major role in thrombus formation after platelets contact with vessel wall. “Platelets inhibition through new generation drug eluting stents (DES) decrease the risk of stent thrombosis” research published in journal “Thrombosis Research”. Mushrooms bio fortifications with Selenium have practical application in nutrient deficiency avoidance. As well as antiplatelet therapy of bio fortified mushrooms with reducing risk of thrombus formation could play a positive role in avoiding cardio-vascular complications.
Reference
Komosa, A., et al. (2016). “Association between high on-treatment platelet reactivity and occurrence of cerebral ischemic events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.” Thrombosis Research 138: 49-54. doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2015.12.021
Poniedziałek, B., et al. (2017). “Bio-enriched Pleurotus mushrooms for deficiency control and improved antioxidative protection of human platelets?” European Food Research and Technology: 1-12. doi:10.1007/s00217-017-2921-3
Rzymski, P., et al. (2017). “Cultivation of Agaricus bisporus enriched with selenium, zinc and copper.” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 97(3): 923-928. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.7816
