Turkey tail fungus is a trunk fungus that occurs on hardwoods, fruit trees and sometimes pines.
The spores invade the trunk of diseased, dying trees, the mycelium multiplies, but the fruiting body does not appear until the tree is completely dead.
An exotic looking mushroom. The flesh is thin, tough and elastic when fresh. It has a hairy, slightly velvety surface, which in places peels off and becomes silky shiny.
ts distinctive, contrasting colours make it one of the most attractive mushrooms. The appearance of the fruiting stones gives an idea of how long ago a tree stump was felled. It is characterised by concentric zones on the upper side, often of contrasting colours, and the surface texture of the different colour zones may vary, for example, they may be hairy or velvety. The colours themselves vary dramatically, with white, grey, brown and reddish-brown common, but also orange, blue and green.
The lower part is a real pore surface. Pores smaller and more densely packed than in similar species (coriolaceae).
Spores: cylindrical and smooth.
Spore colour: Whiteish.
Not a tasty mushroom, it is prepared as a medicinal mushroom.
Odour: Nothing distinctive.
A bit more about the active ingredients:
It contains several types of beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are a type of soluble fibre found in the cell walls of certain plants and fungi. They have been widely studied for their ability to regulate the immune system, cholesterol levels, inflammatory responses, and blood sugar levels.
Each beta-glucan molecule in Turkey tail is slightly different from the other. It is the multiplicity of similar, but different beta-glucan molecules that provides such robust immune-boosting properties.
The next source of powerful immune-boosting compounds in lepidopteran fungi are terpenes – both triterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Like beta-glucans, they are found in many molecular variations. All of these triterpenes have strong biological activity against infectious agents and tumour cells, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity.
Some fatty compounds are also found, which are various sterols and sterols e.g., dextran, fungisterol. They also contain polyphenols and hydroaromatic alcohols.
The PSK, PSP story:
In the 1960s in Japan, Krestin was discovered as PSK, a polysaccharide molecule bound to a protein. It was isolated from mycelium and in the early seventies, now more than fifty years ago, it was marketed as an official medicine and has been part of official cancer therapy in Japan ever since, mainly for cases involving the liver. It acts directly on tumour cells and is an immune stabilizer. When injected into a tumour, Krestin slows tumour growth and prevents metastasis.
Nearly 20 years behind schedule, the Chinese have commercialised a molecule called PSP, which is an official part of the therapeutic protocol as an adjunct to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. PSP – composed of 10% peptide and 90% polysaccharide, is also Turkey tail mycelium isolate.
These molecules are also found in the fruiting body and the mycelium. One of the important secrets of growing medicinal mushrooms may be the culture medium. Most turkey tail extracts available in North America are mycelium grown on grain.
One of the important secrets to growing medicinal mushrooms can be the soil. Most turkey tail extracts available in North America are mycelium grown on grain. In the US, Turkey Tail mycelium inoculated into media containing high amounts of cereals is not very suitable for extracting PSK and PSP. It cannot be sufficiently separated from the grain, so this mycelium extract contains a high amount of starch carbohydrate. Cancer cells are known to derive most of their nutrition for growth from carbohydrates. As a result, most cancer diets recommend avoiding simple sugars and most carbohydrates.
It makes a big difference how organic Turkey tail extract is made, what it actually contains. Sometimes the “mushroom” extract actually contains mycelium and grain, but no mushrooms.
To maintain the longevity and well-being of your pet, you need the full spectrum of compounds found in real, unadulterated mushroom extracts. HerbalVet Organic Mushroom Extract is a concentrated alcohol and water extract of the dried and ground mushroom body, without chitin and other ingredients. The absorption of the glycerol solution starts on the mucous membrane of the mouth, from where it is directly absorbed into the bloodstream and continues in the small intestine. In many cases, the capsules or tablets are not even dissolved in the digestive tract because there is insufficient digestive juices, and they are excreted in an unused form. For tablets, the binder may also make absorption difficult. In both cases, only a fraction of the mushroom powder is utilized, not to mention the mushroom powder content. Therefore, the active ingredient content of Naja Forest and HerbalVet glycerine extracts of medicinal mushrooms and its utilisation is far superior to that of capsulated and powder products. The production of organic ingredients under organic conditions preserves the unique flavour of the medicinal mushrooms. The fruiting body Turkey tail extract has a complete set of molecules that work synergistically to improve the immune function of the host.
Its effects in bullet point form: (I wrote about this in detail in the product description)
- Immune booster
- Anti-tumour
- Liver protector, a natural agent that protects against the cancerous degeneration of liver cells.
- Antibacterial and antiviral action
- Antioxidant
- Antidiabetic
- Enhances the effectiveness of vaccines
- Natural stamina booster, resistance enhancer.