Take a bow, Professor Arun Arya of the Botany department at the M S University's Faculty of Science. He will take up mushroom as his next project. There are as many as 100,000 species of mushrooms which contain a lot of fibrous minerals, including calcium. While medicinal capabilities of mushroom has already been proved in other countries, a project of a similar effect and worth is, however, still new for many in the scientific community in India.

Arya said ``studies have revealed that mushroom could be used to take care of diseases like hypertension and to enhance memory.'' He added that a particular kind of mushroom, known as Ganoderma Lucidum, has the ability to take care of these diseases. Experiments have already shown in Japan that diseases like HIV and heart ailments can be addressed by these mushrooms, Arya said. ``In fact, a type of mushroom called the Shiitake has been able to take care of diseases like Hepatitis B and, even HIV,'' he claimed.

Besides being used as medicine, mushrooms can also be used to take care of deficiencies. ``One does not have to worry about things like low calory or proteins. Consumption of mushroom also takes care of Vitamins and folic acid,'' said Arya.

Arya said according to studies taken up in Japan during 1970s, Shiitake mushrooms, primarily used to cure diseases like heart and viral, contains an amino acid that accelerates cholesterol's processing in the liver. Studies also revealed that this particular mushroom also contains high dietary fibre which helps control cholesterol.

He said in 1969 this type of mushroom was used even to treat cancer in Japan. Studies have revealed that during early 1980s Hepatitis B was checked by oral consumption of six grams of a particular kind of mushroom for four months, Arya pointed out. This enabled affected patients to bring the disease under control. Arya said there was even a particular type of mushroom which was earlier available even at the M S University campus, known as Canoderma Lucidum. He added that it was used to enhance memory. But lack of proper care and inadequate trees in the area have meant that the mushroom made a disappearing act from the campus.