TNPSC Thervupettagam

Anti-Cancer Mushroom

May 8 , 2019 2030 days 948 0
  • 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.

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