Bioactive compounds of edible and medicinal mushrooms
Sunčana Včelik1,2*, Adhithya Areekara Manikandan3, Tihomir Kovač2
1Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Tourism and Rural Development in Požega, Vukovarska 17, 34000 Požega, Croatia
2Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology, Franje Kuhača 18, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
3Cochin University of Science and Technology, School of Industrial Fisheries in Cochin, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi 682016, India
| ARTICLE INFO | ABSTRACT |
| TYPE: Review https://doi.org/10.17508/CJFST.2026.18.1.07 |
Edible and medicinal mushrooms have attracted considerable attention due to their nutritional composition and diverse bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. They are characterised by a rich nutritional profile, including high-quality proteins, dietary fibre, essential minerals and vitamins, which contribute to their role as functional foods. In addition to these nutrients, mushrooms contain various bioactive components such as polysaccharides (especially β-glucans), terpenes, phenolic compounds and sterols. These bioactive compounds are associated with numerous biological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. The combined nutritional and bioactive profile of edible and medicinal mushrooms supports their use in dietary strategies for health promotion and disease prevention. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the nutritional composition and bioactive components of edible and medicinal mushrooms, highlighting their promising role in promoting health and their potential in the production of functional foods and nutraceutical products. Special attention is given to some representative mushroom species, including Hericium erinaceus, Ganoderma lucidum and Lentinula edodes. Given the growing interest in natural health-promoting compounds, mushrooms represent a promising and sustainable resource for the future development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. |
| *CORRESPONDENCE Sunčana Včelik svcelik@ptfos.hr |
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| ARTICLE HISTORY Received: December 12, 2025 Accepted: April 29, 2026 |
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| CITATION Včelik S, Areekara Manikandan A, Kovač T. Bioactive compounds of edible and medicinal mushrooms. Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology (2026) 18 (1) 89―98 |
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 COPYRIGHT: © 2026 by the author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND). |
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| KEYWORDS
edible mushrooms; medicinal mushrooms; bioactive compounds; functional foods |
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| KEY CONTRIBUTION
Nutritional and pharmacological properties of edible and medicinal mushrooms. Classification and major bioactive compounds of mushrooms. Biological activities of key mushroom constituents. Applications of mushrooms in functional foods, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. |