Chicken of the Woods Mushroom: An Evidence-Based Overview of Medicinal Benefits and Uses

Laetiporus sulphureus, widely recognized as Chicken of the Woods, is an edible and medicinal bracket fungus within the Order Polyporales . The fungus is a source of sophisticated secondary metabolites that drive its therapeutic potential.

• 1. Antitumor and Apoptosis-Inducing Activity

• Extracts and isolated compounds demonstrate antineoplastic potential. A purified polysaccharide fraction, designated LSPS2, has shown a significant and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on A549 lung carcinoma cell viability, which was notably superior to crude extracts.   

• Targeted Mechanism: LSPS2 induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) by triggering targeted oxidative stress within the tumor cells. This mechanism is confirmed by the upregulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH), markers of oxidative damage.   

• Enzyme Inhibition: Critically, LSPS2 specifically causes the downregulation of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity. Since cancer cells rely on SOD to manage their high internal oxidative stress, this targeted inhibition forces the tumor cells toward terminal apoptosis.   

2. Potent Anti-inflammatory Activity

The anti-inflammatory properties are strongly associated with the isolated lanostane triterpenoids, termed sulphurenoids .

• Efficacy: These sulphurenoids were tested for their ability to suppress inflammation by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced macrophage cells .

• Comparative Superiority: The inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50​) values for the isolated triterpenoids (ranging from 14.3 to 42.3 μM) were demonstrated to be more potent than the positive pharmaceutical control, minocycline (IC50​ 73.0 μM) .

3. Management of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Health

L. sulphureus exhibits beneficial actions in managing components of metabolic syndrome, specifically dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia.  

• Anti-hypercholesterolemic Efficacy: Mycelial extracts of Laetiporus sp. demonstrated a superior capacity to reduce total blood cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic rat models compared to the statin drug, Lovastatin . In a reduction assay, the fungal extract (110 mg kg−1 b.wt.) achieved an average reduction of 11.4% in blood cholesterol over four weeks, which significantly surpassed the 5.5% reduction achieved by commercial Lovastatin. A preliminary trial also successfully reduced total blood cholesterol in 73.6% of human volunteers.  

• Hypoglycemic and Prebiotic Function: Polysaccharides (LSP) contribute to confirmed hypoglycemic activity and act as strong prebiotics. In vitro modeling showed that LSP selectively enhances the population of beneficial gut flora, specifically Bifidobacterium adolescentis, supporting gut health and metabolic regulation .

4. Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Roles

Polysaccharides isolated even from spent mushroom substrates (SMS) show significant protective effects against acute alcoholic liver disease (ALD) .

• Multi-Pathway Defense: The hepatoprotective action is achieved by enhancing endogenous antioxidant status and actively targeting core mechanisms of liver damage. The polysaccharides ameliorate chronic ALD by activating the essential antioxidant defense pathway (p62/Nrf2) and the core metabolic regulator (AMPK pathway), while also mitigating associated gut microbiota dysbiosis.  

• General Antioxidant Activity: The extracts possess significant general antioxidant properties, including high reducing power and efficient scavenging activities against major free radicals (DPPH, hydroxyl, and superoxide anion radicals).  

5. Selective Antimicrobial Action

The crude ethanolic extract of L. sulphureus (LsEtOH) demonstrates notable and selective antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria .

• Potency: The extract exhibited its strongest inhibitory effect against the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.31 mg/mL . This potency is comparable to commercially recognized natural antimicrobial agents, such as oregano and thyme essential oils .