Sanghuangporus sanghuang (Sanghuang) extract, obtained from the medicinal and edible fungus Sanghuang, was examined for its inhibitory effects against Candida albicans and its potential role in mitigating intestinal inflammation related to ulcerative colitis (UC). Its anti-Candida albicans activity was assessed by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), evaluating its ability to suppress biofilm formation, and observing fungal morphological changes using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Using mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC and intestinal Candida albicans (C. albicans) colonization, fungal burden, intestinal inflammation, mucosal injury, intestinal bacterial community composition, and related signaling pathways were assessed. Sanghuang extract inhibited C. albicans growth and suppressed biofilm formation. SEM further revealed reduced hyphal development and disruption of cell surface morphology following treatment. In vivo, Sanghuang administration ameliorated UC-related phenotypes, with descriptive decreasing trends in fecal C. albicans burden, less severe colonic injury, and lower colonic levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, accompanied by changes in intestinal bacterial community composition. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that pathways associated with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) may participate in this process. Molecular docking yielded predicted interactions of caffeic acid with PTGS2, EGFR, PIK3CA, AKT1, and mTOR. qRT-PCR further showed that Sanghuang extract reduced the colonic mRNA expression of Pik3ca, Akt1, and Mtor. These findings provide experimental evidence that Sanghuang extract exerts antifungal activity in vitro and is associated with changes in fecal C. albicans burden and colitis-associated inflammatory responses in this mouse model.

Endophytic fungi form complex symbiotic associations with medicinal plants via long-term coevolution. Such cross-kingdom interactions substantially modulate flavonoid biosynthesis in host plants. This review dissects the mechanisms through which endophytic fungi elevate flavonoid accumulation in medicinal plants. We first summarize symbiotic and growth-promoting relationships between endophytic fungi and medicinal plants, outlining four core synergistic functions: nutrient supply, phytohormone homeostasis, stress resistance enhancement, and secondary metabolism activation. We then elaborate on three primary regulatory patterns underlying endophyte-modulated flavonoid biosynthesis, including direct activation of plant flavonoid biosynthetic pathways, indirect regulation via stress mitigation and host metabolic reprogramming, and autonomous flavonoid production by endophytic fungi. Notably, most current evidence for autonomous flavonoid biosynthesis by endophytic fungi is derived from axenic cultures, whereas its occurrence and quantitative contribution within colonized plant tissues remain to be established. We further discuss state-of-the-art technologies for untangling plant–fungus symbiotic interactions, including multi-omics integration, spatial metabolomics, single-cell sequencing, synthetic microbial consortia, and CRISPR-Cas genome editing. Lastly, we propose future research perspectives covering green cultivation of medicinal plants, targeted improvement of medicinal quality, and efficient microbial biosynthesis of flavonoids.