User:Mycelia225/Trametes versicolor

Description and ecology[edit]
The top surface of the cap shows typical concentric zones of different colors, and the margin is always the lightest. Underneath a layer of tomentum is a black layer, topping the whitish flesh. The flesh itself is 1–3 mm thick and has a leathery texture. Older specimens, such as the one pictured, can have zones with green algae growing on them, thus appearing green. T. versicolor is a white-rot fungi, making it great at degrading lignin from lignocellulosic materials, like wood. It commonly grows in tiled layers on in groups or rows on logs and stumps of deciduous trees, and is very common in North America. The mushroom is stalkless and the cap is rust-brown or darker brown, sometimes with blackish zones. The cap is flat, up to 8 × 5 x 0.5–1 cm in area. It is often triangular or round, with zones of fine hairs. The pore surface is whitish to light brown, with pores round and with age twisted and labyrinthine. 3–8 pores per millimeter.

It may be eaten by caterpillars of the fungus moth Nemaxera betulinella, maggots of the Platypezid fly Polyporivora picta, and the fungus gnat Mycetophila luctuosa. It is considered inedible to humans but is used as a medicinal tea.

Bioremediation
T. versicolor could be effective in lowering phenol concentrations, even in highly phenolic water such as olive mill wastewater, without needing to turn to dilution. it is also very effective at removing azo dyes and removing color from other wastewater produced in the dye industry. Other research suggests that Trametes Versicolor is effective at degrading pharmaceuticals ibuprofen, clofibric acid, and carbamazepine. This degradation of clofibric acid, and carbamazepine is important as most standard water treatment cannot eliminate it. Laccases which can be extracted from T. versicolor can also be useful on their own for bioremediation. Laccases have been shown to help detoxify some kinds of industrial wastewater, as well as remove herbicides, pesticides, and some types of explosives from the soil.

Human medicine[edit]
Polysaccharide-K (PSK or krestin), extracted from T. versicolor, is considered safe for use as an adjunct therapy for cancer treatment in Japan where it is known as kawaratake (roof tile mushroom) and approved for clinical use. Research suggests Trametes Versicolor can help improve cancer outcomes as it is effective at reducing cancer cell growth, and encouraging apoptosis in cells. As a glycoprotein mixture, PSK has been studied in clinical research in people with various cancers and immune deficiencies, but its efficacy remains inconclusive, as of 2021.

Chemistry[edit]
Trametes versicolor contains polysaccharides under basic research, including the protein-bound PSP and β-1,3 and β-1,4 glucans. The lipid fraction contains the lanostane-type tetracyclic triterpenoid sterol ergosta-7,22,dien-3β-ol as well as fungisterol and β-sitosterol. 18 types of amino acids and flavonoids are also present . Menthol extractions have the highest levels of polyphenols, and water extractions have the most flavonoids .

Horticulture[edit]
Some may be concerned about the mushroom damaging or killing trees and wish to remove them. Removal of the mushroom and pruning may help affected trees survive. Trametes versicolor shows promise in gaining value from horticultural waste. T. versicolor enhances the anti-inflammatory properties of grape pomace, extractions of certain compounds from this pomace could potentially provide an environmentally friendly and profitable way to deal with this kind of horticultural waste. Solid state fermentation of horticultural waste with T. versicolor can produce Laccase which is an important compound in various applications such as water purification, and is used in the creation of anti-cancer drugs and cosmetics. T. Versicolor can also be useful in horticultural applications to aid in the composting speed and quality of green compost.