**1. Introduction**

Mushrooms are a group of fungi with a distinctive fruiting body that can be either epigeous or hypogenous and large enough to be seen with the naked eye and picked by hand [1]. They are either saprophytic, parasitic or mycorrhizal. Out of these three categories, the majority of them are saprophytic and they play an important role in the biodegradation and bioremediation of recalcitrant substances [2]. Notably, there are about 14,000 mushroom species that have been reported to date and a further 126,000 species more are yet to be discovered [3]. The majority of mushroom species are edible and over 400 species are poisonous [4]. Out of these more than 2000 edible species, 5–6 species are grown on a mass scale, 40 species are produced commercially and 80 species are cultivated experimentally (**Figure 1**). Edible mushrooms have very minimal calorie value as they contain less amounts fat and carbohydrate and are also cholesterol-free. In addition, edible mushrooms are rich in other vital nutrients like niacin, vitamin D, proteins, selenium, potassium, riboflavin. Mushrooms also contain a significant amount of fiber which helps in the appropriate digestion of food (**Table 1**) [1]. The active

**Figure 1.** *Mushroom species based on their uses.*

compounds in common mushrooms and the nutritional value of these mushrooms and their activities were showed in **Table 2** and **Figure 2**.

Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the major causes of any disease such as neurodegenerative (NDs), cardiovascular (CDs) and reproductive diseases (RDs), and diabetes [17]. Inflammation is the progressive result of the severe burden of OS. Any biomolecules with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activity show a better response in the treatment of the above diseases [18]. The polyphenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other important biomolecules found in edible mushrooms prove their efficacy in therapeutics with minimal side effects [19]. Mushrooms and their biomolecules are known to have been used to cure diabetes by Indian and Chinese patents from ancient times [20]. The active components in these mushroom species; *Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinus edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Grifola frondosa, Poriacocos*, have exhibited potent anti-diabetic activity [21]. For example, the polysaccharides derived from *Pleurotus ostreatus* exhibits potent antidiabetic activity in the streptozotocin-persuaded Diabetic Rat model [22]. β-glucans and several other biomolecules present in edible mushrooms show strong anti-diabetic activity [23]. Recently the edible oyster mushroom *Pleurotus fossulatus* aqueous extract improved liver and kidney function in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, besides reducing blood glucose levels, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) [24].

Disorders related to the heart and blood vessels are grouped into cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) [25]. Mushrooms and their bioactive components can prevent CVDs [26]. Being functional foods, edible mushrooms contain a significant number of bioactive compounds that show strong potential in the treatment of CVDs [27]. The antioxidant and anti- inflammatory biomolecules present in mushrooms reduce the atherosclerosis risk which is directly related to CVDs [28]. Diseases related to the reproductive systems are very common now a day. Abnormalities in the endocrine system are mainly responsible for the progression of reproductive diseases (RDs).


*Mushroom; Chemistry, Bioactive Components, and Application DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104182*

**Table 1.**

 *Nutritional values of edible mushrooms and their activities.*



#### *Mushroom; Chemistry, Bioactive Components, and Application DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104182*

#### **Table 2.**

*Bioactive components in common mushroom.*

Several RDs like reproductive tract infections, prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc. are most common in different populations [29]. Mushrooms and their bioactive molecules show anti-tumor activity which can be immensely beneficial in the treatment of different RDs. RDs commonly lead to different types of cancer and several biomolecules present in edible mushrooms can prevent metastasis toward cancer [1, 26]. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) like Huntington's disease (HD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD), etc. have been effectively treated by edible mushrooms through their bioactive components [30]. Progression of the NDs is the main cause of death which can be significantly inhibited by the biomolecules present in edible mushrooms [31]. Polyphenols, alkaloids, and several other biomolecules in edible mushrooms prove their efficacy in the treatment of different neurodegenerative diseases [32]. Similarly, a different form of cancer can also be treated by the biomolecules found in edible mushrooms [23]. This review discusses the role of mushrooms and their biomolecules to be utilized for the treatment of some most common diseases like CVDs, RDs, NDs, diabetes, and the different forms of cancer.

**Figure 2.** *Diverse application of elidable mushrooms.*
