By James Odell, OMD, ND, Lac
In Japanese, mai means dance, and take means mushroom, thus “dancing mushroom”. Although maitake mushrooms have been used in Japan and China for thousands of years, it has only gained popularity in the United States over the last twenty years. Ancient traditional Chinese texts record that it can boost qi and fortify the spleen, moisten the lungs and protect the liver. People are praising this mushroom for its promises of health, vitality, and longevity.
Taxonomical Classification of Maitake Mushrooms
Grifola frondosa (Maitake) is a culinary—medicinal mushroom found in some parts of Europe, North America, and Asia. Grifola frondosa (G. frondosa) is a Basidiomycetes fungus that belongs to the family of Grifolaceae and the order of Polyporales that grows in clusters at the base of trees, particularly oaks. The mushroom is commonly known among English speakers as “Hen-of-the-Woods,” “Ram's Head,” and in Japan, as “Maitake,”.
Physical Characteristics of Maitake Mushrooms
Fruiting bodies typically range from 4 to 24 inches (10 to 60 cm.) wide and 3 to 16 inches (7.5 to 40 cm) tall. Typical specimens range in weight from 3 to 15 lbs. (1 1/3 to 4.5 kg), but specimens weighing over 100 pounds (45.5 kg.) have occurred. The individual caps range from ¾ to 3 inches (2 to 7.5 cm.) wide, and 2 to 10 inches (5 to 25 cm.) long (including the lateral stalk). The short to rudimentary, white, central stalk is ¾ to 3 inches (2 to 7.5 cm.) wide, and 1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10 cm.) tall, and split into many branches. The pores are white and decurrent (running down the stalk). The pores are quite small and round when young, becoming angular and larger with age. The spore print is white.
Maitake Mushroom Cultivation
Before 1980, maitake mushroom was foraged but could not be cultivated in medium.
However, now this mushroom is commercially cultivated in Japan and elsewhere.
Thus, since the mid-1980s, the development of successful cultivation methods has led
to its availability in large-scale production and extensive research. G. frondosa is one of
the most widely explored fungal species for nutraceutical and therapeutic compounds.
Nutritional Profile of Maitake Mushrooms
The fungal biomass of G. frondosa displays a high content of proteins and carbohydrates and a relatively low content of fat compared with other commonly cultivated mushrooms.
Grifola frondosa is rich in many important minerals, B vitamins, vitamin D2, and nutritious proteins. Due to its delicious and special taste, G. frondosa is not only used as a food ingredient, but also as a food-flavoring substance in dried powder form.
Pharmacological Effects of Maitake Mushrooms
Apart from its high nutraceutical value, G. fondosa is reported to possess a wide range of pharmacological effects. Maitake is considered a medicinal mushroom, it has been subjected to scientific research studies extensively for nearly 30 years. As time advances, researchers have revealed several medicinal properties that could provide remarkable health benefits. G. frondosa was first discovered to have immune-enhancing and antitumor activity in the 1980s from hot water extracts of the G. frondosa fruiting body. 1, 2 The major bioactive components were found to be β-glucans. 3, 4, 5 The D-fraction, a β-glucan complex with about 30% protein, was first discovered by Nanba’s group in the late 1980s. 6
Bioactive Components of Maitake Mushrooms
Since then, the D-fraction has been widely studied and gradually developed into commercially available complementary medicines and healthcare products. In addition to the D-fraction, many other bioactive polysaccharide fractions are obtained from G. frondosa, such as the MD-fraction, X-fraction, Grifolan, MZ-fraction and MT-α-glucan. 7, 8, 9, 10
Therapeutic Effects of Maitake Mushrooms
The different polysaccharide fractions isolated from G. frondosa possess various bioactive effects such as immunomodulation, antitumor, antivirus, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammation. Additionally, an increasing number of studies have attributed or linked the health and therapeutic effects of G. frondosa polysaccharides to their capacity for modifying gut microbiota, microorganisms that play an important role in human health and diseases. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 In particular, gut microbiota play a role in maintaining immune homeostasis, which may have a connection to the antitumor effects of polysaccharides. The regulation of gut microbiota composition by G. frondosa polysaccharides has also been suggested to contribute to the treatment of metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) 16 , and diabetes 17 , indicating their potential for preventing or treating hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia.
Apart from polysaccharides, other molecular fractions isolated from G. frondosa fruiting bodies or mycelial biomass have shown promising medicinal values as well. For instance, the protein components of G. frondosa, including glycoprotein, have shown anti-tumor 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 , immune-enhancing 23, 24, 25 , anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti hyperlipidemic 26 , and anti-viral effects. 27, 28, 29, 30 Moreover, preclinica and clinical studies have demonstrated that maitake’s D-fraction works by modulating the immune system. Preclinical studies have observed that maitake increases the activation of T cells, specifically CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and enhances the secretion of immunostimulatory cytokines (i.e., IL-2, IL-12, TNF-α, and IFN-γ). Moreover, other small biomolecules in G. frondosa have been found to possess health benefits such as anti-inflammation, hypoglycemia, antitumor, and antioxidation. 31, 32, 33, 34
The most successful and valuable health products from this fungal species are represented by the polysaccharide fractions and polysaccharide-protein complexes, including the D-fraction or the MD-fraction and Grifolan, which have been approved for human use in immunotherapy and complementary treatment of cancers with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Dosage and Availability of Maitake Mushrooms
Because of its limited availability in the wild, Grifola frondosa has begun to be cultivated
for use as a dietary supplement. It may be the most versatile and promising medicinal mushroom supplement, though currently less well-known than Ganoderma lucidum. Grifola frondosa is available as a freeze-dried mushroom, as a concentrated liquid extract, or as an extract in capsules.
Recommended treatment doses usually range from 3 to 9 grams daily of a powdered
extract. However, dosage varies for individuals depending on the condition and GI
tolerance.
Note: Since Grifola frondosa extracts have been reported to exert their antitumor effect
by enhancing the immune system through activation of macrophages, T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells, measurement of NK cell activity may be a useful clinical parameter in monitoring disease progression during and following immunotherapy with Grifola frondosa, as well as with other mushroom immunotherapy.
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