Family

Polyporaceae

Genus

Poria

Common Name

Fu Ling

Plant Figure

Description

Poria cocos is an edible mushroom in the Polyporaceae family and is commonly found in China. It is a wood-rot fungus that is dependent on the colonisation of Pinus species and is known as a traditional herbal medicine, for several centuries in Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea. Previous studies have attempted to identify the medicinal compounds in P. cocos, which have a variety of positive effects on many diseases while producing few side effects. Polysaccharides and triterpenes from P. cocos possess a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, including antiviral, diuretic, antioxi-dant and anti-inflammatory activities.