A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

PLANT NAME: Auricularia spp.

SIMILARLY USED SPECIES: A. auricula-judae, A polytrich, A. sambucina, A. mesenterica, Hirneeola auricula-judae, Tremella auricula, and T. cythiformis. The species found in Hawai'i is Auricularia cornea.

COMMON NAMES: Pepeiao ("ear") [Hawai'i]; mu er ("wood ear"), hei mu er ("black wood ear") [China], yun erh (cloud ear) [China]; kikurage (edible fungus) [Japan].

NOMENCLATURE: Auricularia, Er, and Pepeiao all mean "ear" in their respective languages. The specifi c epithet "auricula-judae" means "ear of Judas", and is a reference to Judas Iscariot. Both Judas and Auricularia have been known to hang from Elder trees. Jew's ear is a contraction of Judas' ear.

PROPERTIES: Sweet, neutral.

PLANT PART USED: The fruiting body (ear).

TOXICITY: No significant toxicity.

CAUTIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS: DO NOT EAT WILD MUSHROOMS OR FUNGI UNLESS YOU ARE 100% POSITIVE IN YOUR IDENTIFICATION. Do not use Auricularia spp. during pregnancy, lactation, or for women trying to conceive.

Status: Unknown. Low pest factor.

Habitat: Wet and low.

PREPARATION OF MEDICINE: Steamed and eaten, or added in formulas.

DOSAGE: 10-30 grams. Up to 60 grams in soup.

STATUS IN HAWAI'I: Unknown. Low pest factor.

WESTERN FUNCTIONS REPORTED: Antibacterial; antiparasitic; antitumor; antiviral; astringent [Linnaeus]; drying [Linnaeus]; hypoglycemic; immunomodulatory; laxative; lipid lowering; painkiller; reduces mucous; refrigerant [Linnaeus].

TRADITIONAL CHINESE ENERGETIC FUNCTIONS (from various sources):

1) Tonifies qi, tonifies the stomach, refreshes the brain, strengthens the stomach.

2) Nourishes the yin and blood, moistens the lung, promoting production of the body fluid.

3) Invigorates blood, cools the blood, stops bleeding.

4) Strengthens the will.

5) Invigorates blood, stops pain, strengthens the lungs.

Common Medicinal Uses

• Cancer

• Fatigue and low energy

• Compromised immune system

• Cardiovascular disease

Cross-Cultural Medicinal Uses

CARDIOVASCULAR • Angina, vascular sclerosis, arterial and vascular obstructions, poor circulation [China]. • Hypertension [China]. • Anemia [China].

DIGESTIVE • Gastric or intestinal inflammation, dysentery with blood [China]. • Vomiting blood; nausea with phlegm. • Bleeding hemorrhoids [China]. • Gas [China]. • Constipation [China]. • Abdominal pain [China]. • Nausea [China].

GERIONTOLOGY • Chronic wounds in the elderly [China].

HEAD AND THROAT • Conjunctivitis, ophthalmic bleeding. • Used with other materials topically for eye irritations [Ancient China]. • Inflammation of the mouth or throat [Europe]. • Tooth pain [China].

INFECTIONS • Bloody dysentery [China].

MUSCULOSKELETAL / TRAUMA • Low back pain [China]. rheumatic pain; muscle spasms [China], cramps • Traumatic injuries [China]. • Tetany.

ONCOLOGY • Cancer.

PSYCHOSPIRITUAL • In old China, mu er was said to make the body strong and light and to strengthen the will. The properties of Auricularia auricula-judae were said to absorb the properties of the media on which it was grown.

REPRODUCTIVE • Vaginal discharge [China]. • Abnormal uterine bleeding (specific); excessive menses; spotting [China]. • Post partum weakness [China].

RESPIRATORY • "Lung deficiency" cough [China]; dry cough with little sputum; coughing blood due to dry lungs [China].

URINARY • Urinary tract diseases [China].

OTHER MEDICINAL USES • General weakness, compromised immune response. • Numbness. • Excess mucous [China].

USE AS FOOD: In soups or stir-fries with chicken or tofu. They can then be dried at home and later reconstituted with water. Cook well when using as food.

OTHER USES: Because of its ability to absorb copper, Auricularia polytricha has been studied as a possible way to detoxify environmental pollution.

CONSTITUENTS: Calcium, carotene, iron, phosphorus, polysaccharides (beta-D-glucans), protein. The medicinal compounds found in pepeiao are called "HDP" or "Host Defense Potentiators." Comprised mainly of polysaccharides, they regulate immune responses, possibly through cytokine production. Cytokines include interferon, interleukins and materials that stimulate the natural killer T cells of the immune system. Polysaccharides such as beta-D-glucan are used in the treatment of cancer.

POSSIBLE DRUG INTERACTIONS: Not with Coumadin or other anticoagulants ~ [Agarwal 1982]

Local Combinations

Compromised immunity: Add Trametes versicolor (yun zhi) and Centella asiatica ( pohe kula).

Low energy: Add Morinda citrifolia ( noni) and Trametes versicolor ( yun zhi).

Cardiovascular disease: Add Centella asiatica ( pohe kula), and Leonorus sibiricus (motherwort).

Cross-Cultural Combinations

Bleeding hemorrhoids with constipation: 6 grams of Pepeiao with 28 grams of Diospyros kaki (persimmon calyx). Baked and eaten as food. [China]

Anemia: With Zizyphus jujuba ( da zao) fruit [China].

High blood pressure and dry cough: With Apium graveolens (celery) in soup.

Throat inflammation: Boiled in vinegar, beer, or milk [Europe].

HABITAT: Likes it on wet rotting logs.

GATHERING: Can be gathered year round, even on the mainland. The color can range from pale tan when young to brown / purple as they age. The texture is always rubbery, never brittle.

Approximately half of the 5 million metric tons of cultivated edible fungi produced annually have medicinal properties. The most frequently cultivated species of medicinal mushroom is Lentinus spp. (shitake), followed by Peurotus spp. (oyster mushrooms), Auricularia spp. (pepeiao / mu er), and Tremella spp. (bai mu er). In 1994, the world's supply of cultivated Auricularia spp. (pepeiao / mu er), was 420 tons, which accounted for 8.5% of mushrooms.

RESEARCH:

• In three randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, patients receiving beta-glucan had significantly lower frequency of postoperative infections [Babineau 1994].

• Polysaccharides improved glucose tolerance in mice [Yuan 1999].

• Some constituents strongly inhibit Sarcoma 180 solid tumors in mice [Misaki 1981].

• Auricularia auricula ( pepeiao) inhibits platelet aggregation in both rats and humans. While they contain adenosine (a substance that inhibits platelet aggregation) they also seem to work through some other mechanism [Agarwal 1982].

NOTES 'N QUOTES

Medicinal mushrooms were often more popular in China than in Europe:

"… they grow amongst rusty nails or rotten rags, or ye holes of serpents, or amongst trees properly bearing harmful fruits." - - Dioscorides

• Hippocrates (455 B.C.), the father of medicine described fungus as being used as "moxa" (the smoke of the burning herb was used topically) for kidney problems or back pain.

• Auricularia is a microrhizal fungus. Microrhiza create symbiotic (mutually beneficial relationships) with many plant, fern, and lichen members of Hawaiian ecosystems.