Chemistry and biology of Phellinus linteus

Phellinus linteus (PL) is a medicinal mushroom used to prevent or treat gastroenteric dysfunction, diarrhea, hemorrhage, allergy, diabetes, and cancer in East Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea. To demonstrate its pharmacological value and mechanism, and translate PL into western-accepted therapy, many researchers have investigated the effects of extracts from fruit-bodies (or mycelium) of PL by means of various in vitro and in vivo models. Subsequently, many small molecular weight pure components were isolated from extracts of PL to identify their pharmacological properties and mechanisms. These studies suggest PL and its bioactive compounds as promising candidates as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulating agents. This review comprehensively covers literature on these extracts, pure components, and potential therapeutic applications of PL from 1999 to June 2011. In particular, small molecular weight compounds that exhibit biological activity as well as pharmacological effects on PL's anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, neuro- and/or hepatic-protective, and immunomodulating activities are reviewed.