ReviewNutrition, safety, market status quo appraisal of emerging functional food corn smut (huitlacoche)

- Huilacoche or corn smut is an underutilized food.
- High content of lysine and linoleic acid make it a functional food candidate.
- Nutritionally it is comparable to edible mushrooms and truffles.
- It can help solve the issue of food insecurity.
- Artificial inoculation and fermentation can increase its yield.

The inequitable availability of food compared to burgeoning population has propelled the search for novel food candidates as well as revival of relegated nutrient sources. In this context, the kingdom fungi hold immense prospects. Fungus constitutes a highly paradoxical domain. Many members of this group are consumed as functional food and appreciated for their medicinal values; whereas some species are recognized as pathogens for animals and plant; incriminated as sources of mutagenic mycotoxins; food spoiling agents; and allergens. The basidiomycota species Ustilago maydis is member with both traits. It is dreaded as the etiological agent of corn smut, the gall disease of maize crop. On the other hand, it is being consumed as delicacy (huitlacoche or corn truffle) since ages and recently, its popularity has risen immensely. This dual, conflicting behavior motivated the author to explore its nutritional composition and dietary safety. Functional food prospect of this enigmatic fungus has been estimated from multiple angles, by gleaning credible information from literature. Also, lacunae in this field have been shown and production scale-up strategies have been suggested. With nutritional profusion and scarce toxic contents, it appears to be a safe edible fungus, worthy of cultivation.