A safety assessment ofCoriolus versicolorbiomass as a food supplement

Background: Coriolus versicolor (CV) is a common mushroom with antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory properties. The existence of these properties has been extensively proven mainly using CV extract; research on the biomass form is scarce.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of the CV biomass form, as it is commonly used as a food supplement.Design: CV biomass powder was dissolved in distilled water and administered daily (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 g/kg live weight) in single doses by gavage to both female and male Charles River albino rats.Results: No adverse or lethal effects were observed as a consequence of the daily administration of CV biomass. In addition, compared with the control group, no abnormal findings were observed at necropsy and histopathological examination.Conclusions: A safe profile of CV biomass for human consumption can be inferred from the absence of any remarkable adverse effects in rats.Keywords: Coriolus versicolor; biomass; food supplement; safety assessment; mushrooms(Published: 10 March 2016)Citation: Food & Nutrition Research 2016, 60: 29953 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v60.29953