Phellinus Linteus

Phellinus linteus is a yellow, bitter-tasting mushroom that grows on mulberry trees.  

It is shaped like a hoof, has a bitter taste, and in the wild grows on mulberry trees. The stem color is dark brown to black.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Phellinus linteus is prepared as a tea where it is often mixed with other medicinal mushrooms such as reishi and maitake and promoted as a tonic during therapy.

Reasearch shows that the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of Phellinus linteus is significantly higher than that of water extract, and the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract against Gram-negative (E. coli) was more significant. Compared with the biological activities of water extract, the ethanol extract manifests superior antioxidant and bacteriostatic activity.

Phellinus linteus is rich in bioactive ingredients, polysaccharides and triterpenes. Phellinus linteus Extract containing polysaccharide-protein complexes from P. linteus are promoted in Asia for potential beneficial activities, but there is insufficient evidence from clinical studies to indicate its use as a prescription drug to treat cancer or any disease. Its processed mycelium may be sold as a dietary supplement in the form of capsules, pills or powder.