CHAPTER SEVEN
New Superstar on the Block
UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY, Phellinus linteus was almost unknown outside the Korean peninsula. The mushroom is a relative newcomer and a rising superstar. For several hundred years, Korean physicians prescribed Phellinus linteus as a treatment for cancer, stomach ailments, and arthritis. In traditional Korean medicine, the mushroom is known to ease pain caused by inflammation. One medical text recommends it as a means of treating a red nose brought about by the immoderate drinking of alcohol. News of the mushroom’s medicinal properties began reaching the outside world in the 1970S, when studies concerning Phellinus linteus were published in the Japanese and Chinese scientific press. In the past decade, manufacturers of Korean health-food products have marketed the mushroom aggressively, so convinced are they of its medicinal benefits. Teports about the mushroom’s value as treatment for arthritis have been circulating among herbalists in the United States and Europe for some time.
An interesting sidelight of Phellinus linteus is the mushroom’s part in bringing together scientific and commercial interests from North and South Korea. The governments of those nations, who are not known for cooperating with one another, have permitted teams of scientists from both nations to conduct joint research. South Korea’s Unification Ministry has permitted some business concerns from the south to import Phellinus linteus mushrooms from the north. Perhaps the healing properties of the mushroom touch the political as well as the biological.
Phellinus linteus is a thick, hard, woody, hoof-shaped mushroom with a bitter taste. It has a pale brown to light yellow cap. The stem is thick and varies in color from dark brown to black. The mushroom favors dead or dying mulberry trees and is found in Korea and adjacent parts of China. Traditionally, the mushroom is boiled in water and is taken as a tea. Koreans sometimes soak it in wine or whisky before drinking it. Phellinus linteus is used as an ingredient in skin creams because it is believed to rejuvenate the skin. The etymology of the mushroom’s Latin name is as follows: Phellinus means “cork”; linteus means “linen cloth.”
As we noted at the start of this chapter, studies in Phellinus linteus are few and far between because the mushroom is a relative newcomer. Still, one or two interesting studies have been presented in recent years.
PhelUnus Linteus, Tumors, and Metastasis
As Chapter Two of this book explains, mushroom polysaccharides help awaken the immune system and keep it alert. To be specific, they help what is called the cell-mediated part of the immune system—the macrophages, lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and so on. They also help the humoral part of the immune system, the part that is mediated by the antibodies that plasma cells secrete.
The general activity of mushroom polysaccharides on the cell-mediated and humoral parts of the immune system is well understood. Recently, scientists in South Korea decided to go a step further and see if Phellinus linteus could work alongside Adriamycin, a popular chemotherapy drug, to inhibit tumors. They were especially interested in metastasis, the movement of tumor growth from one location in the body to another by way of blood circulation or the lymphatic system. The scientists wanted to see if Phellinus linteus in combination with Adriamycin could inhibit metastasis. For the experiment, they implanted melanoma tumors in laboratory mice. They fed one group of mice Phellinus linteus and Adriamycin, one group Phellinus linteus alone, and one group Adriamycin alone. Then the scientists looked at the growth of tumors in the mice, their survival rate, and the frequency of metastases in their lungs. Here are some of the findings of their study:
The scientists concluded that Phellinus linteus might be of use in conjunction with chemotherapy drugs such as Adriamycin. Although Phellinus linteus doesn’t work directly to kill tumors, it does help the immune system work better. Therefore, the mushroom might be useful as an adjunct to chemotherapy and other anticancer treatments.
Phellinus Linteus Compared with Other Beta Glucans
One of the most interesting questions facing scientists who investigate the medicinal qualities of mushrooms is how the beta glucans from the different mushrooms enhance the immune system. As we have written repeatedly in this book, different mushrooms affect the immune system differently.
In 1999, scientists in Korea conducted an in vivo and in vitro experiment to compare the activity of beta glucan from Phellinus linteus with beta glucan from Basidiomycete fungi. They conducted the tests both on laboratory mice and in culture. The scientists found the following in regard to Phellinus linteus:
Phellinus linteus appears to exhibit a wider range of immunostimulation than other polysaccharides. It stimulates both the cell-mediated and the humoral parts of the immune system. The mushroom is indeed a potent one.