Alternative Names | Description | Known Active Constituents |
Purported Uses | Medicinal Properties and Modes of Actions |
Selected References

Latin Name Antrodia camphorata

Alternative Names
Niu-Chang-Chih
Niu-Chang
Niu-Chang-ku

Description
Antrodia camphorata is a highly valued polypore mushroom native to only to Taiwan. This orange-red to brown-red colored mushrooms are very bitter in taste with a camphor aroma. The mushroom grows only on one species of rainforest tree that is also native only to Taiwan, Cinnamomum kanehirai, usually in hollow areas of the trunks of mature trees. The host tree is related to the Camphor tree and contains highly aromatic oils. In Taiwan, this endemic tree species is highly valued for manufacturing furniture. The tree is becoming increasingly rare and is now protected by the government. Consequently, it has become increasingly difficult to find Antrodia fruit bodies in the forest and the price for high-quality fruit bodies has increased dramatically. Scientists have recently developed techniques to culture the mycelia of this mushroom in submerged liquid culture and also with Solid State Fermentation (SSF) methodologies. Both the fruit bodies and mycelia have been proven to contain powerful, medicinally-active compounds. Golden Gourmet Mushrooms, Inc. is the first company in the West to successfully cultivate the mycelia of this unique species.

Known Active Constituents
Polysaccharides
Triterpenoids
Sterols

Purported Uses
Anti-cancer
Hepatoprotection (liver protection)
Treatment of alcohol induced hepatitis
Anti-bacterial
Anti-oxidant
Anti-inflammation
Anti-allergenic
Anti-fatigue
Immunity enhancement
Blood circulation improvement

Medicinal Properties and
Modes of Actions
Antrodia is well-known and highly valued as a medicinal mushroom in Taiwan, but it is relatively unknown outside of Taiwan and virtually unknown in the Western world.

In Traditional Taiwanese Medicine, Antrodia is commonly used as a anti-cancer, anti-itching, anti-allergy, and liver protective drug. Scientific research have also shown that the mushroom can be useful in the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, hepatitis, and many types of cancers including liver, lung, cervical, colon, and breast cancers and also leukemia and adenoma.

Selected Reference

Cheng, J., et. al., 2005. “Characterization and functional study of Antrodia camphorata Lipopolysaccharide”
J. Agric. Food Chem. 53(2), 469-747.

Hseu, YC, et al., 2002. “Protection of oxidative damage by aqueous extract from Antrodia camphorate mycelia in normal human erythrocytes”. Life Sci. June 14;71(4):469-482.

Lee, IH, RL Huang, CT Chen, HC Chen, WC Hsu & MK Lu, 2002. “Antrodia camporata polysaccharides exhibit anti-hepatitus B virus effects” FEMS Microbiol. Lett. March 19, 209(1): 63-67.

Lu, JJ., et al., 2004. “Antitumor effects of the partially purified polysaccharides from Antrodia camphorata and the mechanism of its action”. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. Dec. 1;201(2):186-193.

Mau, JL, et. al., 2004. “Antioxidant properties of methanolic extracts from two kinds of Antrodia camphorata mycelia”. Food Chemistry 86:25-31.

Song TY, SL Hsu & GC Yen, 2005. “Induction of apoptosis in huma hepatoma cells by mycelia of Antrodia camphorata in submerged culture”. J. Ethnopharmacol. Aug. 22;100(1-2):158-167.

Wang, GJ., et al., 2003. “The vasorelaxation of Antrodia camphorata mycelia: involvement of endothelial Ca(2+)-NO-cGMP pathway”. Life Sci. Oct. 10;73(21)2769-2783.

Wu, S-H, L. Ryvarden & T-T. Chang, 1997. “Antrodia camphorata (“niu-chang-chih”), new combination of a medicinal mushroom in Taiwan” Bot. Bull. Acad. Sin. 38:273-275.

Alternative Names | Description | Known Active Constituents |
Purported Uses | Medicinal Properties and Modes of Actions |
Selected References

[TOP]