Morphological, Molecular, and Therapeutic Perspectives on Malaysia’s Tiger Milk Mushrooms - An Appraisal
Authors: Priya Rajakumar, Shin-Yee Fung*
Medicinal Mushroom Research Group (MMRG), Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Corresponding author: * Shin-Yee Fung, syfung@um.edu.my
Abstract
Medicinal mushrooms have been utilized by ancient civilizations for both nutritional and therapeutic purposes, reflecting their historical significance in ethnopharmacology. Due to their health-promoting properties, the value of mushrooms has appreciated, and this has revitalized scientific interest, with modern research validating their bioactive properties and highlighting their potential applications in food and biopharmaceutical industries. An example of such a medicinal mushroom is the Tiger Milk Mushroom (TMM), locally referred to as cendawan susu harimau among indigenous communities in Southeast Asia. Traditionally, TMM has been in use for the treatment of respiratory disorders and inflammatory conditions. It is one of the highly valued mushrooms known for its role in promoting general health and well-being. Tiger milk mushroom belongs to the genus Lignosus Lloyd ex Torrend of the family Polyporaceae (Polyporales). To date, three distinct species of this genus have been discovered in the tropical rainforests of Malaysia: L. rhinocerus (Cooke) Ryvarden, L. tigris Chon S. Tan, and L. cameronensis Chon S. Tan, identified using both morphological and specific genetic DNA sequences. Among the three, L. rhinocerus is the highly studied, followed by L. tigris and L. cameronensis. Comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses have been carried out for L. rhinocerus and L. tigris, yielding valuable insights into their biology and medicinal potential (antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial). In contrast, L. cameronensis, despite its discovery in 2013, remains largely unexplored at the molecular level, with limited research focusing on its nutritional value and safety assessment. This review highlights the key research findings on the three Lignosus species, with particular emphasis on their medicinal properties and recent advancements in omics-based molecular investigations.
Keywords: Mushrooms, Tiger milk mushroom, Malaysia, Medicinal, Omics.
Document Type: Review Article
Citation: Rajakumar, P., & Fung, S.Y. (2025). Morphological, Molecular, and Therapeutic Perspectives on Malaysia’s Tiger Milk Mushrooms -An Appraisal. Mycological Spectrum 1(2): 30-52.
Received: 10 July 2025 | Accepted: 12 August 2025 | Published: 23 August 2025.
Handling Editor: Dr. Shilpa Verekar | Reviewer: Prof. Susanna Badalyan and Prof. N.S. Atri
Copyright: ©2025 Rajakumar, P., & Fung, S.Y. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution, or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution, or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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