A patent has been issued for extracting anti-cancer compounds from a wild mushroom variety found in Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu.
It was invented by Madras University professor Venkatesan Kaviyarasan and his PhD student J Manjunathan.
Lentinus tuberregium is the mushroom variety identified by them.
2 bio-active compounds (LT1 and LT 2) in this mushroom exhibit anti-cancer properties.
In the 1970s the Japanese mushroom “Lentinus edodes” was proved to exhibit anticancer activity.
It was later approved for use by the Food and Drug Administrator (FDA) of USA.
Common Mushrooms of Tamilnadu
‘Arisi Kalaan’ (Termitomyces microcarpus) and ‘Putru Kalaan’ (Termitomyces heimi) varieties are sold in the local vegetable markets of Tirunelveli and Thiruvananthapuram.
The Kaani tribe in Kanyakumari forests are known to use mushrooms in their daily diet.