Author(s): Garcia, Juliana ; Silva, Jani ; Gouvinhas, Irene ; Guimarães, Rafaela ; Bovolini, Antonio ; Saavedra, Maria José ; Alves, Maria José
Date: 2023
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/29021
Origin: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
Subject(s): Biological activities; Ergothioneine; Glutathione; Lenthionine; Sulfur compounds
Sulfur contributes greatly to the chemical richness of nature and, due to its unique properties, enables essential biological interactions that no other element can. Sulfur-containing compounds are bioactive/nutraceuticals substances from different sources, including fungi. They comprise sulfur atoms that are cyclically or noncyclically bonded to a cyanate group or a carbon atom. Sulfur-containing compounds, already identified in various mushrooms species, include compounds such as ergothioneine (EGT), glutathione (GSH), and lenthionine (LT). These compounds exhibit important therapeutic properties such as antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anti-neurodegenerative, and antiplatelet characteristics potentially useful in the treatment of a variety of disorders and diseases, including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases and even diabetes. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the generally recognized sulfur-containing compounds from fungi covering the distribution in species, and genera, as well as the extraction and identification by contemporary analytical techniques. The biosynthetic elements of fungal sulfur compounds, as well as the state of art concerning their biological activities, are also discussed.
