Turkey Tail Mushrooms (Coriolus versicolor)

Turkey Tail Mushrooms (Coriolus versicolor)
Maintain your immune system throughout the year

Turkey Tail Mushroom (Coriolus versicolor), also known as “Yun Zhi” in China and “Kawara-take” in Japan, has been highly appreciated for its medicinal values by cancer patients in Asian countries for centuries. Extensive research was conducted on the immune enhancing and anti-tumor activities of fruit body of Turkey Tail since 1960s, and the famous PSK (polysaccharide-K; aka. Krestin) was developed from its cultured mycelium. It has been successfully marketed and prescribed for prolongation of life span for stomach, colon, rectum and lung cancer patients after surgery in conjunction with chemotherapy since 1977, and is still on the market in Japan. Also PSP (polysaccharide-peptide) was extracted from mycelium of Turkey tail in China in 1983, and subjected to Phase II and Phase III clinical trials. The result demonstrated significant benefit of PSP against stomach, esophagus and lung cancers.

Bioactive constituents:
β-glucan protein complex, Heteroglucan-peptide

Bioactivities:
• Anti-tumor: Activates macrophage, T-cell and NK-cell / Promotes lymphocyte proliferation / Increases the production of interleukins and interferon.
• Anti-hepatitis: Lowers GOT (AST) and GPT (ALT) / Recovers the damaged liver cell and normalizes the liver functions / Reduces the symptoms of hepatitis and cirrhosis.

References:
(1) T. Ikekawa et al, Gann (Japanese), 54:155 (1968); Cancer Res., 29:734 (1969)
(2) T. Miyazaki et al, Chem. Pharm. Bull., 22:1739 (1974)
(3) R. Ohno et al, Gann (Japanese) 66:679 (1975)
(4) W. Shao et al, Pharmaceutical Industry, 2:25 (1980)
(5) S. Tsukagoshi et al, Cancer Treatment Reviews, 11:131 (1984)
(6) Q.Y. Yang et al, J. Shanghai Tech. Univ. (Chinese), 4:36 (1986)
(7) X.M. Li et al, Acto Acad. Med. Shanghai (Chinese), 14:23 (1987)
(8) S. Hirase, PSK Krestin, Excerpta Medica, (1988)
(9) M. Ikuzawa et al, Int. J. of Immunopharmacology, 10(4):415 (1988)
(10) M. Torisu et al, Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy 31(5):261 (1990)
(11) M. Yang et al, Amer. J. Chin. Med. 20:221 (1992)
(12) K. Hayakawa et al, Anticancer Research, 13:1815 (1993)
(13) Y. Lino et al, Anticancer Research, 15:2907 (1995)