Inonotus obliquus

Related Terms

Basidiomycetes, chaga conk, chagi, chago mushrooms, cinder conk, clinker polypore, conk, flavonoids, fungus, Hymenochaetaceae (family), inonoblins, Inonotus obliquus, kabanoanatake, melanins and other pigments, phelligridins, polyphenols, Polyporaceae (family), polypores, polysaccharides, sterols, tiaga, triterpenoids, true mushrooms, tsi aga.

Background

Inonotus obliquus, a mushroom commonly known as "chaga," is widely used in folk medicine in Siberia, North America, and northern Europe. Chaga is a member of the Basidiomycetes (true mushrooms) family and widely distributed in Europe, Russia, and the northern regions of Japan. When growing on the tree, chaga produces a black, long-lasting woody growth called a "conk," which absorbs nutrients and important chemicals from the wood. When the chaga conk flower ripens, it falls to the forest floor. It is estimated that only about 0.025% of trees will grow a chaga conk, making the chaga mushroom somewhat rare.
Chaga mushrooms have been used in folk medicine since the 16th Century as a remedy for cancer, stomach problems, ulcers, and tuberculosis of the bones. Chaga has been collected and consumed for centuries in Asia. Although medicinal use of chaga and other mushrooms is rare in Western countries, reports have described its nutritional value and the value of the biologically active starches and other plant compounds (flavonoids and lipids) that it contains.
Some reports describe chaga as having the following effects: antibacterial; antiviral; toxic; immune system-regulating; anticancer; cardiovascular; pain-relieving; blood sugar-lowering; and plant, insect, or worm-killing activities. However, there is currently a lack of evidence to support using chaga to treat any medical condition.

Evidence Table

These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. GRADE *
These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. GRADE *
* Key to grades

A: Strong scientific evidence for this use
B: Good scientific evidence for this use
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use
D: Fair scientific evidence for this use (it may not work)
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likley does not work)
* Key to grades

A: Strong scientific evidence for this use
B: Good scientific evidence for this use
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use
D: Fair scientific evidence for this use (it may not work)
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likley does not work)

Tradition / Theory

The below uses are based on tradition, scientific theories, or limited research. They often have not been thoroughly tested in humans, and safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. There may be other proposed uses that are not listed below.

Dosing

Adults (18 years and older)
To reduce illness, 7-10 grams of powdered chaga extract has been taken daily by mouth. One teaspoon of crushed chaga in one cup of water has been taken three times daily to improve health. Also, 8-10 drops of chaga have been taken two times daily to treat general sickness.
For the immune system, 10 drops of chaga extract with a beverage twice daily have been used.
To prevent illness, 2-3 grams of powdered chaga extract daily has been used in healthy people.

Safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate herbs and supplements. There is no guarantee of strength, purity or safety of products, and effects may vary. You should always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, you should speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting a new therapy. Consult a healthcare provider immediately if you experience side effects.

Interactions

Interactions with Drugs
Although not well studied in humans, chaga may prevent blood clotting and may increase the risk of bleeding when taken with drugs that increase the risk of bleeding. Some examples include aspirin, anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Coumadin?) or heparin, antiplatelet drugs such as clopidogrel (Plavix?), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Motrin?, Advil?) or naproxen (Naprosyn?, Aleve).
Although it has not been well studied in humans, chaga may lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin levels. Caution is advised when using medications that may also lower blood sugar. People taking insulin or drugs for diabetes by mouth should be monitored closely by a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist. Medication adjustments may be necessary.
Chaga may also interact with agents that affect the immune system, anticancer agents, anti-inflammatory agents, and cholesterol-lowering agents.

Attribution

This information is based on a systematic review of scientific literature edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).

Bibliography

Ham, S. S., Kim, S. H., Moon, S. Y., Chung, M. J., Cui, C. B., Han, E. K., Chung, C. K., and Choe, M. Antimutagenic effects of subfractions of Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) extract. Mutat.Res 1-10-2009;672(1):55-59.
Hyun, K. W., Jeong, S. C., Lee, D. H., Park, J. S., and Lee, J. S. Isolation and characterization of a novel platelet aggregation inhibitory peptide from the medicinal mushroom, Inonotus obliquus. Peptides 2006;27(6):1173-1178.
Kahlos, K., Hellen, L., Nummila, H., and Hiltunen, R. Experiments on Cultures of Inonotus obliquus. Planta Med 1986;52(6):507-508.
Kahlos, K., Kangas, L., and Hiltunen, R. Antitumor Activity of Triterpenes in Inonotus obliquus. Planta Med 1986;52(6):554.
Kim, Y. O., Park, H. W., Kim, J. H., Lee, J. Y., Moon, S. H., and Shin, C. S. Anti-cancer effect and structural characterization of endo-polysaccharide from cultivated mycelia of Inonotus obliquus. Life Sci 5-30-2006;79(1):72-80.
Kim, H. G., Yoon, D. H., Kim, C. H., Shrestha, B., Chang, W. C., Lim, S. Y., Lee, W. H., Han, S. G., Lee, J. O., Lim, M. H., Kim, G. Y., Choi, S., Song, W. O., Sung, J. M., Hwang, K. C., and Kim, T. W. Ethanol extract of Inonotus obliquus inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. J Med Food 2007;10(1):80-89.
Lee, I. K., Kim, Y. S., Jang, Y. W., Jung, J. Y., and Yun, B. S. New antioxidant polyphenols from the medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus. Bioorg.Med Chem.Lett. 12-15-2007;17(24):6678-6681.
Najafzadeh, M., Reynolds, P. D., Baumgartner, A., Jerwood, D., and Anderson, D. Chaga mushroom extract inhibits oxidative DNA damage in lymphocytes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Biofactors 2007;31(3-4):191-200.
Nakata, T., Yamada, T., Taji, S., Ohishi, H., Wada, S., Tokuda, H., Sakuma, K., and Tanaka, R. Structure determination of inonotsuoxides A and B and in vivo anti-tumor promoting activity of inotodiol from the sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus. Bioorg.Med Chem. 1-1-2007;15(1):257-264.
Park, Y. K., Lee, H. B., Jeon, E. J., Jung, H. S., and Kang, M. H. Chaga mushroom extract inhibits oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocytes as assessed by comet assay. Biofactors 2004;21(1-4):109-112.
Song, Y., Hui, J., Kou, W., Xin, R., Jia, F., Wang, N., Hu, F., Zhang, H., and Liu, H. Identification of Inonotus obliquus and analysis of antioxidation and antitumor activities of polysaccharides. Curr.Microbiol. 2008;57(5):454-462.
Taji, S., Yamada, T., Wada, S., Tokuda, H., Sakuma, K., and Tanaka, R. Lanostane-type triterpenoids from the sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus possessing anti-tumor promoting activity. Eur.J Med Chem. 2008;43(11):2373-2379.
Wasser, S. P. and Weis, A. L. Therapeutic effects of substances occurring in higher Basidiomycetes mushrooms: a modern perspective. Crit Rev.Immunol. 1999;19(1):65-96.
Youn, M. J., Kim, J. K., Park, S. Y., Kim, Y., Kim, S. J., Lee, J. S., Chai, K. Y., Kim, H. J., Cui, M. X., So, H. S., Kim, K. Y., and Park, R. Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) induces G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. World J Gastroenterol. 1-28-2008;14(4):511-517.
Zjawiony, J. K. Biologically active compounds from Aphyllophorales (polypore) fungi. J Nat.Prod. 2004;67(2):300-310.