Episode 1 is all about the medicinal powerhouse that's Trametes versicolor, a bracket mushroom that looks like a tail of a wild turkey - although not everyone agrees.
Remember to check out our Instagram @theforestprovides for a compendium post.
Further reading:
Benson KF, Stamets P, Davis R, Nally R, Taylor A, Slater S,Jensen GS. (2019). The mycelium of the Trametes versicolor (Turkey tail) mushroom and its fermented substrate each show potent and complementary immune activating properties in vitro. BMC Complement Altern Med. 19(1):342. doi: 10.1186/s12906-019-2681-7. .
Camilleri, E., Blundell, R., Baral, B. et al. (2024). A comprehensive review on the health benefits, phytochemicals, and enzymatic constituents for potential therapeutic and industrial applications of Turkey tail mushrooms. Discov Appl Sci 6, 257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-024-05936-9
Criscuolo, Anna Angela et al. (2021). Therapeutic Efficacy of a Coriolus versicolor-Based Vaginal Gel in Women with Cervical Uterine High-Risk HPV Infection: A Retrospective Observational Study.” Advances in therapy. 38(2): 1202-1211. doi:10.1007/s12325-020-01594-6
Fritz, Heidi et al. (2015) “Polysaccharide K and Coriolus versicolor extracts for lung cancer: a systematic review.” Integrative cancer therapies. 14(3): 201-11. doi:10.1177/1534735415572883
Guggenheim AG, Wright KM, Zwickey HL. (2014). Immune Modulation From Five Major Mushrooms: Application to Integrative Oncology. Integr Med (Encinitas). 13(1):32-44.
Habtemariam, S. (2020) Trametes versicolor (Synn. Coriolus versicolor) Polysaccharides in Cancer Therapy: Targets and Efficacy. Biomedicines 8, 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines8050135
Knežević A, Stajić M, Sofrenić I, Stanojković T, Milovanović I, et al. (2018) Antioxidative, antifungal, cytotoxic and antineurodegenerative activity of selected Trametes species from Serbia. PLOS ONE 13(8): e0203064. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203064
Krupodorova, T., Rybalko, S. & Barshteyn, V. (2014) Antiviral activity of Basidiomycete mycelia against influenza type A (serotype H1N1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 in cell culture. Virol. Sin. 29, 284–290 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s12250-014-3486-y
Lucius K. (2026). The Medicinal Mushroom Trametes versicolor: Reviewing Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Integrative and Complementary Therapies. doi:10.1177/27683192261431082
Mushrooms (PDQ®) - NCI. Available at:https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/mushrooms-pdq (Accessed:19 March 2026).
Porcaro G, Calcagno M, Tinelli A. (2025). Medicinal Mushrooms, Probiotics and Combination of Natural Compounds in the Management of HPV: A Comparative Look at Viral Clearance and Lesion Resolution. Viruses. 17(7):942. doi: 10.3390/v17070942
Serrano L, López AC, González SP, Palacios S, Dexeus D, Centeno-Mediavilla C, Coronado P, de la Fuente J, López JA, Vanrell C, Cortés J. (2021). Efficacy of a Coriolus versicolor-Based Vaginal Gel in Women With Human Papillomavirus-Dependent Cervical Lesions: The PALOMA Study. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 25(2):130-136. doi: 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000596
Sharma, H.N., Catrett, J., Nwokeocha, O.D. et al. (2023). Anti Toxoplasma gondii activity of Trametes versicolor (Turkey tail) mushroom extract. Sci Rep 13, 8667. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35676-6
Shi, S.; Yin, L.; Shen, X.; Dai, Y.; Wang, J.; Yin, D.;Zhang, D.; Pan, X. (2022). β-Glucans from Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd Is Effective for Prevention of Influenza Virus Infection. Viruses .14, 237. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14020237
