Our ancestors have used mushrooms for thousands of years, and these have been an integral component of the medical practices in different cultures (1).

China is the birthplace of the micoterapia; there, medicinal mushrooms have been used since time immemorial. Were described, classified and organized formally in the first treaty of herbalism, the *Pen Tsao King*, written around the year 200. C. The pharmacopoeia of china includes 270 species of medicinal mushrooms, and the majority of its uses and therapeutic properties listed in the *Compendium of Materia medica* (*Pen Tsao Kang Mu*), 1575 (2).

Interestingly, the knowledge of the therapeutic virtues of fungi in the West probably dates back to a time as early as in China. Despite the knowledge relatively limited on the therapeutic properties of fungi in Europe, occasionally arise surprising findings that challenge the idea that fungi were ignored centuries ago (2).

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the action of the fungus is usually gradual: they act from the deeper layers to the surface levels of the *Qi* (vital energy), moving from systems of internal organs until the channels or meridians (3).

Despite this rich historical background, only in recent times modern science has rediscovered and confirmed the profound medicinal potential that harbor the fungus, thus validating the ancestral wisdom that for a long time, has been revered as powerful sources of therapeutic compounds (1).

Stamets P, Zwickey H. Medicinal Mushrooms: Ancient Remedies Meet Modern Science. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014;13(1):46-7.
Gavalda J, Portela C. 12 medicinal Mushrooms for your health: Hifas da terra.
Aung SK. The clinical use of mushrooms from a Traditional Chinese Medical perspective. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2005;7(3).