MEDICINAL MUSHROOM IN AIMST
Dr.Jeyakumar Nelson reports on behalf of MMRT
MEDICINAL MUSHROOM RESEARCH TEAM (MMRT), FOM
Kingdom: Fungi
Division : Basidiomycota
Class :Agaricomycetes
Order : Lycoperdales
Family :Lycoperdaceae
Genus : Calvatia
A wild medicinal mushroom belongs to the genus Calvatia commonly known as puff ball was identified in AIMST campus, Malaysia. All are terrestrial saprophytes ,edible when white and firm.(1) This mushroom is mostly found during the rainy season. Calvatia species are used in the Folk Medicines of various cultures as hemostatic
and wound dressing agent.(2) This wild edible mushroom is also reported to possess potent anti-
tumour activity.(3) Calvatia craniiformis, Calvatia cyathiformis and Calvatia bovista have similar sized puffballs shape and are distinguished by the spore mass and habitat.(4) Calvatia cyathiformis is found mainly grassy areas, while the other two Calvatias are found in either woods or grass . Calvatia craniiformis has a yellow-brown spore mass where as C. bovista and C.cyathiformis has olive brown and purple brown spore mass respectively.(5)
REFERENCES:
1. Baker T (1989). Fungal Styptics, Mycologist, 3: 19-20.
2. Coetzee JC, van Wyk AE (2009). The genus Calvatia (‘Gastromycetes’, Lycoperdaceae):
A review of its ethnomycology and biotechnological potential. African Journal of Biotechnology, 8, 6007-15.
3. Kim BK, Kwun JY, Park YI, Bok JW, Choi EC (1992). Antitumor components of the cultured mycelia of Calvatia craniformis (sic). Journal of Korean Cancer Research Association, 24: 1-18.
4. Mayers,R.(2003 ,October). Calvatia craniiformis, Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com
Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/ calvatia_craniiformis.html
5. Mayers,R.(2003, November). Calvatia cyathiformis, Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com
Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/calvatia_cyathiformis.html
Source: AIMST University Faculty of Medicine Newsletter Volume 3 (March 2011 – Dec 2011)
