Chaga components

The main active ingredient of chaga mushroom (Latin: Inonotus obliquus) is a chromogenic polyphenol carbon complex (PPC), which is a high molecular weight polymer with an aromatic core, consisting of small phenolic compounds, name the following elements have been identified in its composition: 3,4-dihydroxybenzalacetone, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethylethyl ether, protocatechuic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, caffeic acid, syringic acid, 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid.

These substances of polyphenol-carbonic nature are called chromogenic complex for their ability to produce intensely colored colloidal solutions. Electron microscopy has shown that the PPC particle of chaga is complexly organized and consists of a colored dark brown component, a chromogen, and an uncolored one, represented by a protein-polysaccharide matrix. Particles of chaga PPC have an irregular shape, their sizes are within 350 nm.

It is the PPC of chaga that exhibits antitumor activity due to the fact that phenolic compounds regulate the activity of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatases and reduce the formation of adenosine diphosphates, and since the formation of magnetized cells depends on glycolysis, the violation of this process negatively affects their development.

Chaga PPC is soluble in water. The following amino acids were found after PPC hydrolysis: arginine, lysine, histidine, tyrosine, threonine, alanine, leucine, methionine, tryptophan, glutamic and aspartic acids, glycine, serine, cystine, proline.

This chaga complex has proved to be melanin, namely allomelanin (i.e., widely spread in plants, fungi, bacteria). Melanins are natural cellular pigments.

Currently, the biological and medical properties of PPC are mainly attributed to their antioxidant and metal-chelating action. Their low redox potential is responsible for electron-donor properties, they easily donate one electron to compounds with a higher redox potential, especially free radicals containing oxygen and alkyl radicals.

A chromogenic polyphenolcarbon complex exhibiting antitumor properties was found in chaga mushroom only, which makes this mushroom and, the complex as well unique ones. Currently, there is a huge problem associated with cancer; chaga-based preparations obtained with a high content of PPC, could serve as a helper in the fight against cancer cells.