ABSTRACT
In the Western culture, for a long time mushrooms were not considered as an important source of nutrients. The first record of their use as a food was from the Greek philosopher Theophrastus (372-287 BC). Moreover, the Greeks considered a few mushroom species also as a medicinal source, and in ancient Rome that tradition partially continued. Some mushrooms were appreciated and considered as a delicacy. According to medical history, Agaricon was used for the treatment of various pathologies, as described by Pliny the Elder (ca. 23-78 AD, refer Jones, 1962), but other mushrooms were not considered of great use in therapy. The species to which Agaricon belongs is not easy to establish. According to Jones (1962), it could be Boletus edulis Bull.Fr. and related species, or Amanita cesarea (Sco. Fr.) Pers.Schw. Hobbs (2000) suggests that fungi with similar appearance were not well-differentiated. During the Middle Ages, probably due to poisoning, which was often painful and lethal, in Europe
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and especially in its northwestern part, a certain "fungophobia" evolved and consumption of mushrooms declined. Rarely were mushrooms connected with witches and magic rituals and, therefore, it was not surprising that unlike plants and animals, fungi were not generally considered as part of Western traditional folk medicine. Nevertheless, the use of mushrooms for healing purposes originated in different parts of the "old continent" and many species were considered to have medicinal value at different times and in different parts of Europe. It is important to mention the application of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) in treatment of wounds and tumours in Siberia and in some other parts of Russia, the use of Amanita muscaria (Linn.Fr.) Pers. Hooker for treatment of epilepsy and to soothe spinal irritation in Kamchatka peninsula (Rolfe and Rolfe, 1925), the use of different fibrous fungi (Polyporaceae) in treatment of wounds in various parts of Europe, and some limited uses of medicinal mushrooms recorded in England and the USA (Hobbs, 2000). In Europe, the initial cultivation of mushrooms started only in the 18 th century and up to the present time, the most commonly produced and consumed mushroom specie is Agaricus bisporus (J.Lge.) Imbach, also known as white bottom mushroom or champignon [Quimio (2006), Chapter 14 in Volume 1 of this series].
