Medicinal wood decay fungi on large old oaks in the Madonie Mountains (Sicily)

Periodic observations made on two 800-plus-year-old Quercus pubescenstrees in the MadonieMountains (Sicily) revealed the presence of two saprotroph and occasionally weak parasitefungi. The basiodiomycetes Laetiporus sulphureusand Pseudoinonotus dryadeuswere identified by combining morphological and observation of microscopic characters with molecular analysis.The two mushrooms fall in the so-named category of “medicinal mushrooms” showing many properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, cytotoxic, hypoglycemic and anti-inflammatory. Actions are proposed to safeguard old trees and, simultaneously, preserve ex situ the wood-decay fungi of potential medicinal interest.