Anti-Acne Mushrooms: A Review

Acne is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease in which the skin pores are clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne is the second most common skin disease after dermatitis. Many factors influence the appearance of acne, such as skin disease, environmental hygiene, lifestyle, androgen hormones, inflammation, and stress, including the surface microflora of the skin and the colonization of acne-causing bacteria. Mushrooms are now offered as an alternative and complementary therapy for acne. This review aimed to evaluate natural sources of fungal origin for preventing and treating acne caused by bacteria. This review presents the application of several mushrooms in the management of acne. Electronic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were reviewed to identify the anti-acne effects of mushrooms. Based on the literature review results, it can be concluded that mushrooms have good potential as anti-acne by providing barriers to the growth of acne-causing bacteria, namely S. aureus, S. epidermidis and P. acnes. The ethanol extract of Shitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) showed activity on P acnes and S epidermidis bacteria with an average inhibition zone of 13.4 mm and 15.33 mm, and was the most sensitive with a MIC value of 256 πg/mL. Warm water extract and Tris buffer extract of the Black Ear fungus Auricularia polytricha) showed activity on S. aureus bacteria with an average inhibition zone of 11.66 mm and the most sensitive with a MIC value of 5 πg/mL. At the same time, the hexane extract and methanol extract of red ear mushrooms (Auricularia auricula Judei) showed activity on S. aureus bacteria with an average inhibition zone of 28.6 mm and 25.3 mm and a sensitive MIC value of 0.78 mg/mL. In conclusion, several fungi can be used to manage acne caused by bacteria.