Presentation from Jeff Chilton, President of Nammex: Organic Mushroom Extracts, at the International Society for Mushroom Science (ISMS) conference in Amsterdam June 1st 2016. In it Jeff stressed the need for further testing of medicinal mushroom products to properly characterize what they are made from and what active medicinal compounds they contain. Beta-glucan and alpha-glucan testing of mushroom and mycelium on grain products show a sharp contrast between the two. Full Details & Video: http://www.nammex.com/isms-2016-quality-control-medicinal-mushrooms/

1. A New Analytical Fingerprinting Method for Quality
Control of Medicinal Mushroom Products
Jeff Chilton - Nammex - North American Medicinal Mushroom Extracts

2. A major problem associated with mushroom-based dietary supplements/nutriceuticals is their
wide variability and the current lack of standards for production and lack of testing
protocols necessary to guarantee product quality.
The active ingredient components of the majority of present commercial products
have not been indicated. Improvements in both areas are essential in order to increase
and maintain consumer confidence, protect public health, and to meet current and future
quality demands as well as safety criteria set by regulatory authorities. (1)
The consistency of the "extracts," both in terms of overall chemical composition and in the
actual levels of active components between different batches, could be standardized on
the basis of one or two of the main active constituents. This is essential for ensuring
some degree of uniformity in prescribed dosages. (2)
1. Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms For Sub-health Intervention and Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases.
Author: Vikineswary S. and Chang S.T. Tech Monitor, July Sept, 2013
Defining the Problem in the Medicinal Mushroom Industry
2. Safety, quality control and regulational aspects relating to mushroom nutriceuticals.
Author: Chang, S.T. and Buswell, J. Publication: Mushroom News. 2010

3. Goals for a Quality Control Testing Program
• To provide a qualitative and quantitative measurement of
primary active compounds in a Medicinal Mushroom product.
• Primary active compounds should occur in sufficient quantity to
be accurately measured.
• To identify common adulterants.
• To identify scientifically validated and commercially available
analytical methodologies.

4. What is a Medicinal Mushroom?
Basidiomycete/Ascomycete
Morphological part
• According to the U.S. Dietary Supplement and Health Act of 1994,
it is a requirement for nutritional supplements that the “plant part”
is displayed on the label.
• U.S. FDA has a compliance document that states mycelium cannot
be sold as a mushroom; they are two distinct stages of the
basidiomycete organism.
FDA: CPG Section 585.525: Mushroom Mycelium Fitness for Food;
Labeling. Issued 10/20/1976.

5. Spores
Fungal Parts Sold as Medicinal Mushrooms

6. Mycelium Liquid Fermentation
Production of pure mycelium products
Fungal Parts Sold as Medicinal Mushrooms

7. Fungal Parts Sold as Medicinal Mushrooms
Mycelium on Grain Grain Spawn
Mycelium “Biomass”

8. Fungal Parts Sold as Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushrooms

9. Fungal Parts Sold as Medicinal Mushrooms
Sclerotia

10. An analytical fingerprint for Medicinal Mushroom
should be based on the primary active compounds
identified by scientific research.
• Polysaccharides; Protein-bound polysaccharides
• (1-3)(1-6)-beta-D-glucans
• Ergosterol
• Triterpenoids; cordycepin; ergothionine; mevinolin
• Alpha-glucans - starch/glycogen

11. (1-3)(1-6)-beta-D-glucans
• Specific to mushrooms
• Measures alpha-glucan
• Accurate and repeatable
• Peer reviewed and validated
• Easy for company lab use
• Contract lab friendly
• Affordable

12. Journal of AOAC International, 2016.

13. High Performance Liquid Chromatography
• Triterpenoids in Reishi and Chaga
• Standards are available for Reishi
• Ergosterol - standards are available
• Cordycepin - standards are available
• Mevinolin/Monacolin K

14. Fruit bodies and simple fruit body water extracts showed
a consistent range of beta-glucans and alpha-glucans.
• Beta-glucans - 25.4 - 65.9%
• Alpha-glucans 0.1 - 5.7%
• Percentage of dry weight
• Six species - 29 samples
0 6
25
66
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Lowest Highest
Alpha-glucans Beta-gucans

15. Grain spawn mycelium products showed significantly
lower beta-glucan values and higher alpha-glucan values.
• Beta-glucans 0 - 12.9%
• Alpha-glucans 24.1 - 70%
• Percentage of dry weight
• Six species - 22 samples
24
70
0
13
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Lowest Highest
ValueAxis
Alpha-glucans Beta-gucans

16. Beta-glucan and alpha-glucan results for
Reishi mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum.
• Beta-glucans 25.4 - 31.9%
• Beta-glucan mean 30.5%
• Alpha-glucans 0.1 - 0.7%
• Alpha-glucan mean 0.37%
0 10 20 30 40
M11
M12
M13
M14
Percentage of dry weight
Alpha-glucan Beta-glucan

17. Beta-glucan and alpha-glucan results for reishi
grain spawn mycelium, Ganoderma lucidum.
• Beta-glucans 0 - 12.9%
• Beta-glucan mean 6.56%
• Alpha-glucan 29.61 - 51.4%
• Alpha-glucan mean 40.77%
0 15 30 45 60 75
GS14
GS15
GS16
GS17
GS18
GS19
GS20
GS21
Percentage of dry weight
Alpha-glucan Beta-glucan

18. Ergosterol results for reishi mushroom, mushroom
extract, and reishi mycelium grain spawn, G.lucidum.
• Ergosterol is a definitive marker
compound that can be used to assess
the quantity of fungal material in a
medicinal mushroom product.
• Mycelium grain spawn mean 0.01
• Mushroom and extract mean 0.1
• GS = mycelium samples
• M = mushroom samples
• Results expressed as % dry weight
0.020
0.006
0.006
0.120
0.090
0.080
0 0.03 0.06 0.09 0.12 0.15
GS14
GS15
GS16
M14
M15
M16
Ergosterol

19. Development of an Analytical Fingerprint
• Using the data collected from three major components of a Medicinal
Mushroom product: beta-glucans, alpha-glucans, and ergosterol, a
fingerprint standard can be formulated for each mushroom species.
• The fingerprint can be used to compare unknown products with a standard.
• Additional compounds can be added, creating a more robust profile.
Product Beta-glucan Alpha-glucan Ergosterol
Reishi mushroom 30.05% 0.37% 0.1%
Reishi grain spawn 6.56% 40.77% 0.01%
Maitake mushroom 39.87% 2.68% 0.43%

20. • Nammex White Paper
• Published February 2015
• Compounds identified
• Methods identified
• 95 samples of all product types
• Ongoing testing of all
commercial products sold.