Edible mushrooms: The potential game changer in alleviating vitamin D deficiency and improving human health

The present review attempts to critically examine and evaluate research findings on mushrooms as sources of vitamin D and other nutraceuticals. Recently, there is a growing concern about diseases associated with the deficiency of vitamin D in humans. As people tend to stay indoors, in present times, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vitamin D levels are further affected. Research indicates vitamin D as a promising defensive or therapeutic agent against COVID, making this review more crucial. Mushrooms, as a rich source of vitamin D along with various bioactive compounds, perform a significant role in resolving health issues. Robust analyses of various strategies for enhancing vitamin D content in mushrooms holds significance in this study; moreover, this will help stakeholders of the mushroom industry in enriching the overall mushroom quality and human health. Mushroom-based medicinal formulations and functional foods serve to deliver vitamins and nutrients to humans, thus helping to combat malnutrition and other health problems, especially in developing countries. Evidence from pre-clinical and clinical analyses suggests that vitamin D-2 bioavailability in mushrooms is comparable with vitamin D from other sources. The review also emphasises molecular findings from mushrooms related to genes responsible for morphology and metabolic production of pro-vitamin-D-2.