Edible mushrooms are widely consumed in many countries as a food having a high commercial
and culinary value, mainly due to organoleptic properties, such as texture and flavor, and it is
possible to distinguish a mushroom species based on its characteristic odor or flavor (Guillamón
et al., 2010a). Described as rich in minerals, water, proteins, essential and non‐essential amino
acids, carbohydrates, and poor in lipids, mushrooms are highly nutritious; mushroom proteins
are considered of higher nutritional quality than those of vegetables, being comparable to proteins
of animal origin such as meat, eggs, and milk (Wang et al., 2014).
There are available many studies showing that mushrooms have a wide variety of biomolecules
with medicinal properties, with great value in the prevention and treatment of various diseases,
being recognized as functional foods and as a source for the development of pharmaceuticals and
nutraceuticals (Newman et al., 2000; Ferreira et al., 2009, 2010; Barreira et al., 2014; Gyawali et al.,
2014). Mushrooms’ bioactive molecules are responsible for their antioxidant (Ferreira et al., 2009),
antitumor (Ferreira et al., 2010), antibacterial (Alves et al., 2012), immunostimulatory, antifibrotic,
anti‐inflammatory (Kohno et al., 2008), antiviral (Barreira et al., 2014), antifungal (Alves
et al., 2013), anti‐atherosclerotic (Guillamón et al., 2010b; De Silva et al., 2012), hypoallergenic,
antiatherogenic, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective (Nitha et al., 2013), and hypotensive (Guillamón
et al., 2010b) properties.
According to the available reports on mushrooms’ bioactivities, the refined extracts obtained
from the mycelium or fruiting body, that can be consumed in the form of tablets or capsules as
dietary supplements and have potential therapeutic application, are considered nutraceuticals,
products derived from food sources that provide nutritional value but also provide extra health
benefits (Chang and Buswell, 1996).
In this chapter, the chemical composition, nutritional value, and bioactive properties of
mushrooms species are reviewed and will be highlighted in the following sections.
