Coprinus comatus

By Cliff Bueno de Mesquita and Ylenia Vimercati Molano

Hi everyone! It’s been a long time since our last blog post in January 2021. Today we will revive the blog for October, 2023 with the fascinating edible fungus Coprinus comatus, also known as the “chicken drumstick”, among other nicknames. This fungus is in the Basidiomycota phylum and can be found all over the globe, in all continents except Antarctica (Figure 1). While delicious and nutritious and known for beneficial antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-obesity properties, make sure to only eat young mushrooms, as older ones that start turning black are inedible. As the mushroom gets older, it eventually starts to auto-digest itself. People with atopic dermatitis and atopic predisposition should be wary of consuming C. comatus, as it may cause skin rashes. Younger mushrooms are egg shaped (Figure 1). Even young mushrooms of C. comatus must be consumed, processed, or iced within 4–6 hours of collection [1].

Figure 1. C. comatus geographic distribution, mushroom development, functional properties, and potential hazards. Mycological illustrations and infographic by Ylenia Vimercati Molano.

Yet another use of this amazing organism is for what is known as “mycoremediation”, which means remediation using fungi. In particular, several studies have tested the potential of C. comatus to clean up heavy metal contaminated sites, and the results have been quite promising. For example, C. comatus was able to uptake copper and naphthalene (a hydrocarbon found in coal tar and crude oil) out of the soil, which improved the growth of lettuce [3]! Other work has shown potential to uptake copper, lead, cadmium, and chromium [4].
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So when people say that fungi are going to help save the world, they are correct, and C. comatus is one specific organism that is making big contributions to our society and the environment.
 
References:
1.         Nowakowski P, Naliwajko SK, Markiewicz-Żukowska R, Borawska MH, Socha K. The two faces of Coprinus comatus—Functional properties and potential hazards. Phytother Res 2020; 34: 2932–2944.
2.         Luo H, Liu Y, Fang L, Li X, Tang N, Zhang K. Coprinus comatus Damages Nematode Cuticles Mechanically with Spiny Balls and Produces Potent Toxins To Immobilize Nematodes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2007; 73: 3916–3923.
3.         Wu B, Chen R, Yao Y, Gao N, Zuo L, Xu H. Mycoremediation potential of Coprinus comatus in soil co-contaminated with copper and naphthalene. RSC Adv 2015; 5: 67524–67531.
4.         Dulay R, Pascual A, Constante R, Tiniola R, Areglo J, Arenas M, et al. Growth response and mycoremediation activity of Coprinus comatus on heavy metal contaminated media. Mycosphere 2015; 6: 1–7.