Medicinal Mushrooms Med
diicinalMushrooms
Hawk’s Wings and Hedgehogs: Some Bitter, Some Better
Robert Dale Rogers
Abstract: A discussion of several similar looking mushrooms including Sarcodon imbricatus [L.] P. Karst, the Hawk’s Wing (also called Scaly Hedgehog), and Sarcodon aspratum [Berk.] S. Ito; the Scaly Tooth, Sarcodon squamosus [Schaeff.] Quel.; and Hydnellum scabrosum [Fr.] E. Larss., K.H. Larss. & Kõljalg.
I
t’s likely that everyone can recognize the popular edible Hawk’s Wing mushroom, Sarcodon imbricatus. Or is it? Tis species has many look-alikes that are interesting, beautiful, and useful in their own right. Te name Sarcodon derives from the
Greek Sarx meaning, “flesh” and -odon, “tooth.” Hence, a toothed mushroom. Imbricatus is Latin for “covered with tiles or scales.” Identification is important as similar looking species are very bitter and inedible. Te related Scaly Tooth (S. squamosus) is commonly associated with pine, whereas fir and spruce hosts are preferred by S. imbricatus. Hawk’s Wing’s teeth are grey, and produce brown spores. Sarcodon squamosus, or Scaly Tooth, and Sarcodon imbricatus were once thought to be the same species. Te former indeed looks similar but Sarcodon imbricatus lacks the olive-black base on its stipe, and red-brown cap coloration. Both are found all across North America and Europe. An article by Johannesson et al. (1999), and more recent DNA analysis by Larsson et al. (2019), suggest moving many species of Sarcodon into the genus Hydnellum. When cut open, H. scabrosum presents a mild watermelon scent to some noses, but a bitter farinaceous odor to others. Tis species ranges across North America but is less common in the Pacific Northwest, where
it is associated with salal, hemlock, spruce and Douglas-fir. Individuals dyeing with fungi will note
the Hawk’s Wing produces a gray-beige color, whereas the Scaley Tooth gives a brilliant blue-green result. In fact, the different color dyes led mycologists to examine if indeed they were different species. I will admit to mistakenly collecting and cooking various Sarcodons in the past, and unable to get past the extremely bitter taste. I found fresh parsley added to pan-fried mushrooms helps disguise any mildly unpleasant taste.
Recent Investigation An interesting Hawk’s Wing
study looked at acute exercise and chronic fatigue syndrome in mice. Supplementation with this mushroom increased levels of glycogen in liver, and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in liver and muscle tissue, and decreased lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in both groups. Both superoxide dismustase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels improved in the 32-day study. Wang et al. (2018a) suggested the mushroom serves as a novel anti-fatigue supplement. Tis may be due in part to the free-radical scavenging rate associated with fatty acid content. In work by Luo et al. (2017), Hawk’s Wing showed an 81.25% DDPH scavenging ability, with half-maximal inhibition of 0.054 mg/mL. Te authors suggest this exceptional antioxidant capacity may be related to alpha-hydroxy fatty acids. Tere is interest in this mushroom
for its potential antibiotic properties. Consider the gram-negative bacterium Proteus mirabilis. Tere is a growing epidemic underway involving this
pathogen in long-term care and hospital settings, particularly in immune- compromised patients undergoing catheter treatment. Tis microbe is increasingly multi-antibiotic resistant as it creates strong biofilms, and in one study by Lubart et al. (2011) the bacterium was shown responsible for a 51% mortality rate, associated with chronic urinary tract infections in the geriatric population. Tis infection largely goes undetected in senior residences, until the biofilm is well established, and difficult to control. Extracts of Sarcodon imbricatus exhibit a high inhibition (45.4%) on P. mirabilis biofilm formation, suggesting adjuvant possibilities according to Alves et al. (2014). (It’s worth mentioning that in the same study, Leucopaxillus giganteus, another well known wild mushroom, inhibited E. coli by 47.8%.) Using Hawk’s Wing in oral supplementation of polysaccharides significantly increased spleen and thymus indexes in a four-week study of cyclophosphamide-induced immune suppression of Balb/c mice. Work by Wang et al., (2018b) found weight loss alleviated, and NK (natural killer) cytotoxicity and lymphocytes were elevated. Te mushroom promoted interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-10, IL- 12 and interferon gamma production; and reduced oxidative stress. Te authors suggest possible use of the polysaccharides as novel immune modulators, in health foods or medicine. Te same mice study (Wang et al., 2018c) found the mushroom polysaccharides improved blood parameters and, likewise, found the percentage of B lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells significantly elevated in bone marrow. Te fruiting body of S. imbricatus
contains various polyphenols. Work by Shomali et al. (2019) found ethanol extracts possess significant glutathione- S-transferase (GST) enzyme activity. Tis suggests both alcohol- and water- soluble compounds protect the body’s major detoxifying agent. Glutathione is so important to human health that fully 7% of daily energy is dedicated to production of this vital anti-oxidant. A p-terphenyl compound isolated
from the fruiting body showed weak cytotoxicity against colon cancer SW480 and leukemia HL-60 cancer cell lines, in
Winter 2022 FUNGI Volume 15:125
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