Within the group of higher fungi, edible medicinal mushrooms have a long history of being used as food and in folk medicine. These species contain biologically active substances with many potential beneficial effects on human health. The Pleurotus genus is representative of medicinal mushrooms because Pleurotus ostreatus is one of the most commonly cultivated culinary mushrooms. In our study, we focused on lesser-known species in the genus Pleurotus and measured their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. We prepared extracts of the mushrooms and analyzed them using HPLC−HRMS, GC−MS, and ¹H-NMR. Significant differences in biological activities were found among the Pleurotus spp. extracts. A MeOH extract of P. flabellatus was the most active as a radical scavenger with the highest ORAC, while a chloroform extract had significant anti-inflammatory COX-2 activity. The 80% MeOH extract of P. flabellatus contained the highest amounts of ergosterol, ergothioneine, and mannitol. The 80% MeOH extract of P. ostreatus Florida was the most active in the NF-κB inhibition assay and had the highest content of β-glucans (43.3% by dry weight). Given the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of P. flabellatus, the potential therapeutic usefulness of this species is worth evaluating through in-depth investigations and confirmation by clinical trials.

Hericium coralloides, commonly known as the coral tooth mushroom, is a rare edible and medicinal fungus that has attracted increasing research attention, particularly regarding its bioactive metabolites. Despite its long history of traditional and nutritional use, no dedicated review has summarized the available data on its nutritional composition, secondary metabolites, and associated biological activities. This review provides an overview of the nutritional profile, identified bioactive metabolites, including corallocins, hericenes, erinacines, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and terpenoids and corresponding reported biological activities in cell-based in vitro and in vivo animal models, together with brief insights into the cultivation methods, taxonomy and morphology of H. coralloides. In vitro and in vivo animal model studies report neuroprotective, anticancer, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial properties of H. coralloides extracts and isolated compounds, whereas clinical data in humans are currently absent. Overall, this narrative review assesses the current evidence on H. coralloides and evaluates its potential, both promising preliminary findings, knowledge gaps and relevance for nutraceutical or functional food development.