Bioactive compounds in fungi

Abstract

Food insecurity, malnutrition and unsustainable food production are major challenges faced by humanity today. Edible fungi could play an important role in restructuring current agrifood systems due to their balanced nutritional composition and their cost-effective and eco-friendly production. Many fungal species have the potential to be developed into functional food because they are a source of various bioactive compounds which provide health benefits beyond their macro-nutritional value. This review is aimed at giving a broad overview of fungal bioactive compounds beneficial for human health and investigating the potential of fungi as functional foods. In all the major groups of fungal primary and secondary metabolites that were investigated, a wide variety of bioactivities were found. Frequently occurring bioactivities present in almost all biochemical groups include antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-cancer and immunomodulating activities, as well as benefits for gut-, brain- and cardiovascular health. Although many compounds that are present in fungi have been shown to possess these bioactivities, their actual effects through dietary intake remain insufficiently investigated. As the presence of specific bioactive compounds differs between fungal species, an assessment of an individual species is recommended. Given the rising demand for healthier and sustainable foods, fungi offer great potential to play an important role in future agrifood systems.