Announcements

Announcing a special issue entitled, “Mushrooms as Medicinal & Functional Food” to be published as Volume 21, Number 5 of the Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research…………

Mushrooms as Medicinal & Functional Food

Guest Editors: Prof. Zhao-Jun Wei, PhD & Professor Wenyi Kang, PhD

Call for Papers

Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research (CTNR) is an international, interdisciplinary broad-based peer reviewed scientific journal for the critical evaluation of research on chemistry, biology and therapeutic applications of nutraceuticals and functional foods. The major goal of this journal is to provide peer reviewed unbiased scientific data to the decision makers in the nutraceutical and food industry to help make informed product development choices. To this end, the journal publishes original articles as well as reviews of preclinical and clinical research data coming largely from animal, cell culture and other experimental models. The journal also serves as a forum for nutritionists, internists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and all those interested in preventive medicine. The common denominator of all topics to be covered by the journal must include nutraceuticals and/functional food

In the modern era, medicinal mushrooms and their extracts/products are often regarded as functional foods and/or nutraceuticals. Although the term “nutraceutical” has no regulatory definition, scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of mushroom nutraceuticals is increasing, and many species carry great commercial value. Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries, particularly amongst indigenous communities, to promote health and longevity. Some of them have traditionally been used for the treatment of various ailments, especially in folkloric Chinese medicine. On the other hand, the use of mushrooms is reported in ethnomycology around the globe, but to a lesser extent compared with their use in China. Mushroom extracts are increasingly consumed due to their health benefits, which include the enhancement of immune function and antitumor activity. Products of mushrooms, when used as functional foods or dietary supplements, can help with interventions into sub-optimal health states, and may prevent the full-blown consequences of life-threatening diseases. An equilibrated diet that includes mushroom consumption can take advantage of the nutritional/medicinal features of mushrooms. Mushrooms are thought to exert many pharmacological effects, including antitumor, immunomodulatory, antigenotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, antihypertensive, antiplatelet aggregating, antihyperglycemic, and antimicrobial activity, and have many pharmacological applications. Numerous studies were conducted on low-molecular-weight and high-molecular-weight bioactive compounds isolated from mushrooms. These studies report heteropolysaccharides, α-glucans, β-glucans, proteins, lectins, complexes of polysaccharides with proteins, fatty acids, terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, lanostanoids, sterols, and phenolic compounds to be promising therapeutic agents. Further research is needed to validate the usefulness of mushrooms and their compounds, either alone or in combination with existing therapies. This Special Issue will cover the pharmacological potential of compounds isolated from mushrooms, the biological activity of mushroom extracts, and the chemical characterization of the constituents responsible for such actions. For this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit research and review articles as well as opinion pieces or hypotheses related to “Mushrooms as Medicinal & Functional Food”. Submission is open now and it closes on December 15, 2023. The issue will be published online on a continuous base, with the last paper being published no later than in January-February 2023.

Please submit your manuscripts (including reviews) in WORD and PDF on the journal website (nchpjournals.com) indicating that it is for special issie on Mushrooms. Also, you can submit the manuscript by e-mail to Prof. Wei (zjwei@nwu.edu.cn; zjwei@hfut.edu.cn), Prof. Kang (kangweny@hotmail.com), or the publisher (nchpjournals@gmail.com).

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Zhao-Jun Wei, PhD

Dean, School of Biological Science and Engineering

North Minzu University, Wenchang North St 204

Xixia District, Yinchuan City, Ningxia. PC 750021,

People’s Republic of China

E-mail: zjwei@nwu.edu.cn ; zjwei@hfut.edu.cn

Professor Wenyi Kang, PhD

Director, National R & D Center for Edible Fungus

Processing Technology,

Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, Henan,

People’s Republic of China

E-mail: kangweny@hotmail.com