Hindawi Publishing Corporation BioMed Research International Volume 2013, Article ID 982317, 9 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/982317 Review Article Natural Products and Biological Activity of the Pharmacologically Active Cauliflower Mushroom Sparassis crispa Takashi Kimura Research&DevelopmentCenter,UnitikaLtd.,23Uji-Kozakura,Uji,Kyoto611-0021,Japan Correspondence should be addressed to Takashi Kimura;
[email protected] Received 4 October 2012; Accepted 25 February 2013 Academic Editor: Fabio Ferreira Perazzo Copyright © 2013 Takashi Kimura. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Sparassis crispa, also known as cauliflower mushroom, is an edible mushroom with medicinal properties. Its cultivation became popular in Japan about 10 years ago, a phenomenon that has been attributed not only to the quality of its taste, but also to its potential for therapeutic applications. Herein, I present a comprehensive summary of the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action of its bioactive components, such as beta-glucan, and other physiologically active substances. In particular, the immunomodulatory mechanisms of the beta-glucan components are presented herein in detail. 1. Introduction 2. Chemical Constituents and Bioactive Components of S. crispa Medicinal mushrooms have an established history of use in traditional Asian therapies. Over the past 2 to 3 decades, Scientific investigation has led to the isolation of many com- scientific and medical research in Japan, China, and Korea, pounds from S. crispa that have been shown to have health- and more recently in the United States, has increasingly promoting activities.