Coprinus sp. / Inktzwammen

Deze inktzwam met zijn typisch, wollig geschubde hoed groeit dikwijls in groepen op voedselrijke bodem. Gewoonlijk vinden we hem in grasland. Hij komt ook regelmatig voor op akkers, wegbermen, in parken en bosranden. Op zijn holle breekbare steel zit een verschuifbare ring. Deze is een overblijfsel van het vliesje dat de plaatjes beschermde in jonge toestand. Zolang de plaatjes wit zijn is hij eetbaar en zeer smakelijk. Alle recepten voor gewone champignons zijn hier toepasselijk. Men moet er wel voor zorgen van de taaie steel en de hoedschubben te verwijderen. Gedroogd kan men hem tot fijn poeder malen en dit kan zorgen voor een pittig aroma in soepen en sauzen.

Een jonge geschubde inktzwam smaakt uitstekend, maar moet wel direct na het plukken verwerkt worden. De zwam is niet meer eetbaar wanneer vervloeiing of verkleuring optreedt. Verwisseling kan voorkomen met de kale inktzwam (Coprinus atramentarius), die giftig is indien alcohol twee dagen voor of na consumptie wordt gebruikt.

Integr Cancer Ther. 2011 Jun;10(2):148-59. doi: 10.1177/1534735410383169. Epub 2010 Dec 8.

The culinary-medicinal mushroom Coprinus comatus as a natural antiandrogenic modulator.

Dotan N1, Wasser SP, Mahajna J.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men. Chemotherapy, androgen ablation, and androgen antagonist treatments have proven to have significant effects in the early stages of prostate cancer, whereas advanced prostate cancer is resilient to such treatments. The androgen receptor (AR), a ligand-dependent transcription factor, is the major drug target of prostate cancer therapy. Transition to the androgen-independent stage involves the activation of signaling pathways, AR gene mutations, and other mechanisms. Higher basidiomycetes mushrooms have been used since ancient times in folk medicine to treat a diversity of diseases, including cancer. The present study evaluates the antiandrogenic activity of different Coprinus comatus strains in their ability to interfere with AR function. The authors found that the most active extract was C comatus strain 734 extracted with hexane (CC734-H). This extract was able to (1) inhibit AR-mediated reporter activity, (2) inhibit the proliferation and viability of the LNCaP cell line, and (3) inhibit the colony formation of the LNCaP cell line, in comparison to the DU-145, PC-3, and MDA-Kb2 cells. In addition, CC734-H was able to reduce AR levels and prostate-specific antigen gene expression in the LNCaP-treated cell line. This study illustrates the potential of the C comatus mushroom as a natural antiandrogenic modulator that could serve in the treatment of prostatic diseases.

Pharm Biol. 2014 Aug;52(8):994-1002. doi: 10.3109/13880209.2013.874536. Epub 2014 Mar 6.

Consumption of Coprinus comatus polysaccharide extract causes recovery of alcoholic liver damage in rats.

Ozalp FO1, Canbek M, Yamac M, Kanbak G, Van Griensven LJ, Uyanoglu M, Senturk H, Kartkaya K, Oglakci A.

CONTEXT:

Excess use of alcohol is known to be associated with liver diseases such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Various practices may be applied to prevent or treat the damage caused by chronic alcoholism. Coprinus comatus (O.F. Müll.) Pers. (Agaricaceae) is a macrofungus that has been reported to aid the recovery of murine livers damaged by benzopyrene.

OBJECTIVE:

In this study, the possible therapeutic effects of three different doses (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) of C. comatus polysaccharide (PS) extract were studied in rats subjected to an alcoholic diet. The histological and biochemical results were compared between the control and experimental groups.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Modified Lieber-Decarli's calorie-adjusted liquid alcohol diet was given orally for 60 d. In addition to histopathology, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), mitochondrial membrane integrity, total cytochrome-c oxidase activity (TotalStCox), total mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase activity (TotalMtStCox), and caspase-3 values were used as liver parameters, and liver sections from all experimental groups were examined by electron microscopy.

RESULTS:

Using histopathological assessment, it was observed that there was a decline in liver hepatocyte vacuolization in the treatment group fed 50 mg PS/kg. The TotalStCox and TotalMtStCox values of this group differed from the EtOH control group (p < 0.05).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

Daily administration of 50 mg/kg of C. comatus PS extract considerably reduced the negative effects of alcohol on liver structure and function.