Mushrooms and plants – natural sources of healthy longevity

A brief overview of plants and fungi as sources of essential beneficial dietary components – fibers, vitamins, macro- and microelements, as well as certain biologically active substances – is presented. Among plant fibers, insoluble cellulosic fibers, including lignified ones, and partially or completely soluble pectins and mucilaginous polysaccharides are characterized. Among fungal fibers, insoluble chitinous straight fibers and swelling, spiraled glycans are characterized. Tables with plant and fungal species containing maximum concentrations of these components, as well as types of biological activity of edible plant and fungal fibers and other groups of substances, are provided. For plants, flavonoids and related compounds, oils with polyunsaturated fatty acids (“omega-3”), essential oils, and steroidal saponins are also considered. For fungi, beneficial types of activity for groups such as proteins, lectins, terpenoids, terphenyls, lovastatin, and ergothioneine are presented. It is shown that the types of activity of plant substances are diverse, while fungal compounds are characterized by immunostimulating, antitumor, antioxidant, and bactericidal effects.