Mycochemical Diversity and Therapeutic Potential of Hymenochaetoid Fungi from Central Asia: Regional and Global Perspectives
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Central Asia harbors a rich yet understudied assemblage of wood‐inhabiting Hymenochaetoid fungi. This review delivers the first comprehensive synthesis of 43 poroid species representing 18 genera documented across montane forests, steppes, and xeric habitats. Drawing on literature from 1977 to August 2025, we evaluate their taxonomic diversity, secondary metabolites, and pharmacological activities. Key metabolite classes include polysaccharides (notably β ‐glucans), lanostane‐type triterpenoids, phenolic acids, styrylpyrone derivatives, sterols, and sesquiterpenoids. These compounds display a broad spectrum of bioactivities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti‐inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and hypoglycemic effects. While globally recognized taxa such as Inonotus obliquus and Phellinus igniarius are well studied, most Central Asian endemics remain poorly characterized, highlighting a substantial untapped reservoir of therapeutic potential. Key challenges include unresolved taxonomy, nonstandardized metabolomic methodologies, limited mechanistic pharmacology, and insufficient ethnomycological and conservation data. To address these gaps, we propose a roadmap integrating multilocus phylogenomics, harmonized metabolomic workflows (LC‐MS/MS, GC–MS, NMR), and targeted in vitro, in vivo, and in silico pharmacological studies, supported by community‐based ethnomycological surveys and IUCN‐aligned conservation strategies. Future progress will require coupling these approaches with advanced omics technologies and AI‐enabled drug discovery to accelerate the translation of fungal metabolites into clinical candidates and nutraceuticals. At the same time, climate‐responsive conservation frameworks are urgently needed to safeguard this unique fungal reservoir. By linking biodiversity with translational pharmacology, this review positions Central Asian Hymenochaetoid fungi as a promising frontier for global natural product discovery and sustainable biotechnological innovation.
Source: New Zealand Journal of Botany
DOI: 10.1002/nzb2.70030
Authors: Yusufjon Gafforov, Milena Rašeta, Sylvie Rapior, Manzura Yarasheva, Oksana Mykchaylova, Rustamjon Allaberdiev, Şule İnci, Dilfuza Berdieva, Arshad Mehmood Abbasi, Shikhnazar Khodjaev, Dian‐Ming Hu, Weijun Yang, Abudujilili Abuduaini, Maria Letizia Taddei, Mengcen Wang, Islomjon Urinboev, Jiajia Chen
Institutions: New Uzbekistan University, Fergana State Technical University, National University of Uzbekistan, University of Novi Sad, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université de Montpellier, Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Alfraganus University, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, TC İstanbul Rumeli Üniversitesi, Tashkent State Medical University, COMSATS University Islamabad, Urgench State University, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Xinjiang Institute of Materia Medica, University of Florence, Zhejiang University, Jiangsu Vocational College of Agriculture and Forestry
Language: English
Subfield: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7128093835