Abstract
Since the time of Prof. Dr. Stanisław Kohlmuenzer, the fruiting bodies of mushrooms were the main subject of research in the Department of Pharmaceutical Botany of the Medical Academy in Kraków (today: Jagiellonian University Medical College). At that time, the main interest was focused on the study of substances responsible for the toxic properties of mushrooms.
Thirty years ago, in the early days of medicinal mushroom research by the team of the Department of Pharmaceutical Botany of the Jagiellonian University Medical University, the focus was on polysaccharides and their immunostimulatory effects.
Currently, scientific research by the same team is focused on medicinal mushrooms and their biologically active compounds, cosmetic properties, and potential for bioremediation.
A major achievement in the field of mushroom biotechnology has been the extraction of submerged mycelial cultures as a standardized and enriched source of mycelia rich in bioactive compounds.
The future of this research team is related to the pharmacokinetics of selected biologically active compounds.