Lentinula

Lentinula lateritia is found in rainforest between Coffs Harbour and Sunshine Coast, tasting much the same as the Japanese Lentinula edodes or Shiitake mushroom! Originally described by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1881 as a species of Agaricus, it was transferred to the genus Lentinula in 1983 by David Pegler. Shiitake mushrooms have a strong earthy, creamy, buttery and meaty flavor and a soft, velvet, juicy texture. Shiitake are considered a delicacy, appreciated for their specific pleasant taste and aroma, which resembles porcini mushrooms.

Some research has indicated the potency of shiitake mushroom in fighting cancer cells. Also, lentinan, one of the chemical compositions in mushroom, is thought to restore chromosome damage caused by cancer treatments.

 

In 2006, a group of researchers made a study on the potency of ethyl acetate extracted from shiitake mushroom. The result published in the Alternative and Complementary Medicine shows that shiitake mushroom is capable of inhibiting growth in tumor cells through microchemical actions. Shiitake mushroom was able to induce apoptosis, which is the process of programming cell death. This result indicates that shiitake mushrooms could be a potent natural treatment for cancer.