Agarikon Mushroom (Laricifomes officinalis / Fomitopsis officinalis)
Identity, Nomenclature, and Natural Source
Laricifomes officinalis, also known as agarikon, eburiko, or the quinine conk, is a wood-decay fungus that grows in large conks on the trunks of trees. Though it is nearly identical to Fomitopsis officinalis, DNA analysis supports L. officinalis as distinct from the genus Fomitopsis; however, the names Laricifomes officinalis and Fomitopsis officinalis are generally used interchangeably. This species is also known by the name of Laricifomes officinalis (Batsch) (Kotl. & Pouzar), which has been proposed to replace F. officinalis since molecular data suggest a separate systematic position from Fomitopsidaceae.
This fungus is the only member of the genus Laricifomes. There has been a history of human use of the fungus, from textiles, to ritualistic masks, and medicinal use; the name "quinine conk" refers to its bitter taste. The name "quinine conk" was given due to its bitter taste, which led people to believe it contained quinine, and it was thus collected extensively, especially as a treatment for malaria; the fungus however contains no quinine and shows no activity against malaria, but there is recent scientific evidence of it having potency against several viruses.
The species epithet "officinalis" — meaning "of the apothecary's shop" — is telling in itself: this is a mushroom whose medicinal reputation is so ancient and established that it was literally named after its pharmacy use.
Fomitopsis officinalis (also known as agarikon and Laricifomes officinalis) is a perennial polypore that grows on various coniferous trees in the Northern hemisphere. Typically found in old-growth forests, this brown-rot fungus decays woody tissue with its mycelium and produces massive conks that grow over many decades. The species lives as a parasite on dead and alive coniferous tree trunks and causes intensive brown rot of wood. It can be found mostly on trees belonging to the Larix spp. and more seldom on trees of Abies spp., Pinus spp., Picea spp., Cydrus spp., Tsuga spp., and Pseudotsuga spp.
Common Names and Synonyms
- Agarikon (most widely used common name)
- Eburiko
- Quinine conk
- Tree biscuit
- Bread of Ghosts
- Scientific synonyms: Fomitopsis officinalis (Batsch) Bondartsev & Singer; Laricifomes officinalis (Batsch) Kotl. & Pouzar; Agaricus albus (historical)
Common Preparations and Dosage Forms
As a bracket fungus, its body is woody and inedible for culinary purposes, though it is frequently used in dried or blistered form in tinctures and medicinal extracts. Commercial preparations encountered in modern supplement markets include:
- Dried fruiting body powder (capsules or bulk)
- Hot-water or hydroethanolic extracts (liquid tinctures)
- Standardized mycelial biomass products
In the principal clinical trial to date, the dosage administered was eight 500-mg capsules three times daily (TID) orally for four days. No other standardized human dosing regimens have been established in the peer-reviewed literature.
Traditional and Historical Use
Ancient Greek and European Medicine
Fomitopsis officinalis is a polyporoid fungus recognised as medicinal for millennia all over its distribution range, particularly against pulmonary diseases. The first written report about the so-called Agarikon is by the protopharmacologist Dioscorides Pedanios (1st century AD), but the use of this unmistakable species has thereafter been documented in the Alps, Central and Eastern Europe, Urals, Siberia, and North America, where it sometimes acquired mythic and ritual significance.
The name agarikon derives directly from the ancient Greek and Latin "agaricum," as used by Dioscorides Pedanios in his De Materia Medica (c. 60 CE) — the encyclopedic pharmacological text that served as the foundation of European medicine for over a thousand years. Dioscorides prescribed agaricum against consumption (tuberculosis), pneumonia, and digestive disorders.
In ancient Greece, Agarikon was used to treat respiratory illnesses, night sweats, and consumption — later known as tuberculosis. Early Europeans and Central Asians traditionally used this species for treatment of many ailments and infectious diseases, including coughing illnesses, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, bleeding, and infected wounds.
Five polypore species, including Laricifomes officinalis, have been widely used in central European folk medicines for the treatment of various diseases, including dysmenorrhea, hemorrhoids, bladder disorders, pyretic diseases, treatment of coughs, cancer, and rheumatism.
Due to its medicinal effects, F. officinalis was increasingly gaining popularity among 18th- and 19th-century pharmacists, which led to a decline in its numbers in the natural habitat. Meanwhile, larch trees were exploited for their wood, resin, and tanbark, which further reduced the occurrence of F. officinalis and eventually contributed to its status as an endangered species.
Mongolian and Central Asian Traditional Medicine
Fomitopsis officinalis has traditionally been used to treat cough and asthma in the Mongolian population. The fungus is renowned for its health benefits, particularly in traditional European medicine for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.
Indigenous North American Use
Indigenous peoples of North America, particularly the Haida of British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, carved sporophores of Laricifomes officinalis into spirit figures placed on graves to serve as guardians against malevolent entities. The mushroom was used in rituals associated with the "fungus dance" and also during an eclipse of the moon or sun by the Bella Coola, as documented from a village near the Dean River, British Columbia, Canada.
F. officinalis has a long history of use in both European and Indigenous American cultural and medicine traditions.
Key Constituents and Active Compounds
The species is a rich source of bioactive compounds, including coumarin derivatives, indole compounds, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, terpenoids and sterols, which exhibit a wide array of biological activities, such as antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral effects.
Lanostane Triterpenoids
Triterpenoids constitute the largest and pharmacologically most extensively studied compound class in F. officinalis. Compounds isolated from the mycelium include eburicoic acid, sulfurenic acid, versisponic acid, dehydroeburicoic acid, 3-ketodehydrosulfurenic acid, fomefficinic acids, dehydrosulfurenic acid, fomefficinol, fomlactone, laricinolic acid, agaric acid, fomitopsin, and officimalonic acids.
- Eburicoic acid: A lanostane triterpenoid that has been associated with antimicrobial properties in multiple in vitro studies.
- Dehydrosulfurenic acid: A lanostane-type triterpenoid derived from F. officinalis that has been patented for its potential use as a pharmaceutical treatment for ischemic stroke.
- Fomitopsins F, G, H: These compounds show trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma congolense with IC₅₀ values ranging from 7.0–27.1 µM; officimalonic acids D, E, G, H and fomitopsin A show anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.
- Seven lanostane-type triterpenes (including fomitopsin C, 3-keto-dehydrosulfurenic acid, dehydroeburicoic acid, and eburicoic acid): These compounds isolated from F. pinicola and F. officinalis showed significant antitumor activity, particularly in MCF-7 cells. Compounds 2 and 4 effectively suppressed tumor growth in mice, influencing VEGF and cytokine expression.
Chlorinated Coumarins
An ethanol extract of the polypore mushroom Fomitopsis officinalis afforded two new naturally occurring chlorinated coumarins, identified as 6-chloro-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-one (1) and ethyl 6-chloro-2-oxo-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-3-carboxylate (2). The structures of the two isolates were deduced by spectroscopic methods and confirmed by chemical synthesis. Chlorinated coumarins from mycelia and lanostane triterpenoids from basidiomes have been demonstrated to be directly responsible for antiviral-antibacterial and trypanocidal activity, respectively. These chlorinated coumarins — the compound class with the most documented anti-TB activity — are concentrated in the mycelium and mycelial culture extracts, and are absent or low in the fruiting body.
Agaric Acid (Agaricinic Acid / Laricic Acid)
Agaric acid, or agaricin, has been officially described in many pharmacopoeias and is now considered the principal active constituent of Agaric. Also known as agaricinic acid or laricic acid, this compound is a tribasic acid with the chemical name 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-nonadecanetricarboxylic acid (CAS No. 666-99-9, Molecular Formula: C₂₂H₄₀O₇). Agaricinic acid, extracted from F. officinalis carpophores using ethanol, was identified through NMR spectroscopy and comparison to a standard sample. The extraction process involved ethanol, followed by purification with ether; analysis revealed the presence of hydroxyl and various carboxy groups.
Polysaccharides and Beta-Glucans
From Fomitopsis officinalis, a homogeneous heteropolysaccharide designated FOBP50-1 with a molecular weight of 2.21 × 10⁴ g/mol has been extracted and purified. FOBP50-1 was found to be composed of 3-O-methylfucose, fucose, mannose, glucose, and galactose with a ratio of 1:6.5:4.4:8.1:18.2. A second polysaccharide, FOBP90-1 (MW 2.87 × 10⁴ g/mol), shows anticancer activity via TLR-2, TLR-4, PD-L1, and VEGFR-2 pathways in zebrafish models. Branched β-glucans have also been characterized, with cytotoxic activity documented.
Other Identified Compounds
The presence of indole compounds (L-tryptophan, 6-methyl-D,L-tryptophan, melatonin, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan) and phenolic compounds (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, catechin) has been confirmed in mycelial cultures of F. officinalis. Flavonoids in F. officinalis have been studied for potential to mitigate oxidative stress in the aging mouse brain.
Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
The totality of scientific evidence for F. officinalis is preliminary. A rich literature has dealt with its ethno-mycological aspects, but isolation and chemical characterisation of single compounds has only recently significantly developed, as well as in vitro tests for bioactivity. A wider literature deals instead with crude extracts including an undetermined mixture of metabolites, whose efficacy in vitro is yet far from being standardised as extraction and treatment methodology are highly variable. No regulatory agency (including NIH-NCCIH, EMA, or EFSA) has issued a formal therapeutic monograph for this species. The evidence base consists predominantly of in vitro and animal studies, with very limited human clinical data.
Antimicrobial and Anti-Tuberculosis Activity
Evidence level: In vitro only; no human clinical trials for infectious indications.
According to several reports there is evidence of a broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral activity by F. officinalis, including pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as Orthopox virus.
The most significant antimicrobial finding comes from a 2013 study by Hwang et al., published in the Journal of Natural Products. An ethanol extract of Fomitopsis officinalis afforded two new naturally occurring chlorinated coumarins: 6-chloro-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-one (1) and ethyl 6-chloro-2-oxo-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-3-carboxylate (2). All four compounds (the two natural isolates and two synthesised analogues) were characterized physicochemically, and their antimicrobial activity profiles revealed a narrow spectrum of activity with lowest MICs against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Compound 2 showed antimycobacterial activity (MIC₉₀ <50 mg/mL) against wild-type M. tuberculosis and rifampicin-, isoniazid-, and streptomycin-resistant M. tuberculosis. Analogues of the two coumarins also showed activity against wild-type and multiple drug-resistant M. tuberculosis, including kanamycin- and cycloserine-resistant strains.
Coumarin compounds isolated from L. officinalis also showed inhibitory effects against Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as weaker inhibition against Acinetobacter baumannii, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Limitation: All antimicrobial data are derived from in vitro experiments. No clinical trials have evaluated agarikon extracts for the treatment of tuberculosis or any other infectious disease in humans.
Antiviral Activity
Evidence level: Predominantly in vitro; one human RCT (combination product).
Fomitopsis officinalis is reported to exhibit broad-spectrum antiviral effects against various pathogens, including Orthopox virus. Chlorinated coumarins from mycelia and lanostane triterpenoids from basidiomes have been linked to antiviral-antibacterial activities, respectively.
Several strains of F. officinalis show strong antiviral activity, and research is ongoing to identify the active antiviral agents, their modes of action, and their impact on immune defense.
In vivo tests on bees provided promising results in order to develop sustainable solutions against the pathogens responsible for colony collapse disorders.
Limitation: The antiviral data are derived from cell-based screening assays and bee models. There are no controlled human studies examining agarikon for viral infections as a standalone product.
Immunomodulatory Effects and Vaccine Adjunct (Human Clinical Trial)
Evidence level: One randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial (combination product with Trametes versicolor).
The most rigorous human evidence to date comes from a trial published in BMC Immunology in March 2026. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial tested a four-day oral supplement, "FoTv," made from the mycelium of two types of medicinal fungi: Fomitopsis officinalis and Trametes versicolor. The study enrolled 90 adults scheduled to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and randomly assigned them to receive either a 4-day course of FoTv or matching placebo capsules beginning on the day of vaccination.
The dosage was eight 500-mg capsules three times daily (TID) orally for four days. Main outcomes included safety (adverse events, renal and hepatic function from Days 1–14); feasibility (completion rate and treatment adherence); side-effects (number and severity, self-reported on days 1–5); and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels (receptor-binding domain and Spike, collected from blood drawn on days 1, 3, 14, and 28/42, and at 6 months).
Safety metrics were similar for the FoTv (N=52) and Placebo (N=38) groups and the approach was feasible. FoTv, versus placebo, significantly reduced side-effects in COVID-naive (previously unexposed) participants. In the COVID-naive FoTv group, antibody responses were preserved across 6 months (and possibly increased), an effect not observed among other groups. Conclusions: adjunctive FoTv was safe, feasible, and reduced vaccine side-effects without compromising (and possibly increasing) antibody levels up to 6 months in participants without previous SARS-CoV-2 exposure.
Various polypore fungi, including T. versicolor and F. officinalis, demonstrate immunomodulatory effects, possibly through increased production of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), a known immunoregulatory mediator.
Limitations: The trial used a combination product (FoTv) rather than agarikon alone; effects attributable specifically to F. officinalis versus T. versicolor cannot be disentangled. The sample was relatively small. Additional powered replication studies are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Anticancer and Antitumor Activity
Evidence level: In vitro and zebrafish/animal models only; no human clinical evidence.
A 2022 study published in Anticancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry evaluated six fractions of F. officinalis against hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. The objective was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and anticancer activity of six fractions of F. officinalis residues against hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In vitro studies of cell proliferation, viability, and NF-κB signaling were performed, and all six fractions/extracts showed antioxidant activity and some anticancerous effects against cancer cells. In cancerous cell lines (HepG2 and LO2), Fo3 chloroformic extract promoted cancer cell apoptosis and cell viability, activated G2/M-phase cell cycle, and selectively induced NF-κB proteins, revealing it as a novel antitumor extract. The study concluded the Fo3-chloroformic extract was rich in antitumor activity, and that further examinations of F. officinalis are needed to develop new natural drugs to treat cancer.
Regarding polysaccharides, from Fomitopsis officinalis, a homogeneous heteropolysaccharide (FOBP50-1) with a molecular weight of 2.21 × 10⁴ g/mol has been extracted and purified. FOBP50-1 showed promising antitumor activity in zebrafish assays.
Seven lanostane-type triterpenes isolated from F. pinicola and F. officinalis showed significant antitumor activity, particularly in MCF-7 cells. Compounds 2 and 4 effectively suppressed tumor growth in mice, influencing VEGF and cytokine expression.
Limitation: All anticancer data derive from cell-line and animal experiments. There are no human clinical trials. The transition from in vitro and zebrafish assays to human therapeutic efficacy is not established.
Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Evidence level: In vitro and animal models only.
F. officinalis triterpenoids exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in RAW-264.7 murine macrophages. Data suggest that polysaccharide extracts from F. officinalis can induce a long-lasting anti-inflammatory effect in monocytes. Treatment of monocytes with laminarin and antibodies against Dectin-1 and TLR2 during treatment affected glucan-modulated macrophage differentiation; results indicate that the glucan directs the differentiation of monocytes toward a macrophage cell population with reduced pro-inflammatory capacity via Dectin-1 and TLR2.
Limitation: Anti-inflammatory findings are restricted to cell culture experiments (RAW-264.7 macrophages and monocyte models). No human data are available for this indication.
Antioxidant Activity
Evidence level: In vitro.
A 2020 study published in Scientific Reports assessed antioxidant properties of F. officinalis mycelium and fruiting bodies using the DPPH method. The biochemical composition of the tested mushroom material was confirmed with the FTIR method; antioxidant properties were determined using the DPPH method, and antiproliferative activity was assessed with the MTT test. Flavonoids in F. officinalis can potentially mitigate oxidative stress in the aging mouse brain.
Neurological and Cardiovascular Observations (Preliminary)
Evidence level: Early-stage, preclinical only.
Dehydrosulfurenic acid, a lanostane-type triterpenoid derived from F. officinalis, has been patented for its potential use as a pharmaceutical treatment for ischemic stroke. Eburicoic acid has been proposed to potentially have antidepressant effects, based on preclinical research. These findings remain in the earliest stages of investigation and have not advanced to clinical trials.
Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Agarikon
- Respiratory system: Historically the primary indication; traditional use for tuberculosis, pneumonia, cough, and asthma; in vitro antimycobacterial activity confirmed via chlorinated coumarins.
- Immune system: Immunomodulatory activity via beta-glucan interaction with Dectin-1 and TLR2/TLR4 receptors; studied as vaccine adjunct in one human RCT.
- Oncology (preclinical): Antitumor effects documented in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and zebrafish models.
- Cardiovascular and neurological (preclinical): Isolated triterpenoids patented for ischemic stroke applications; eburicoic acid studied for antidepressant potential in animal models.
- Infectious disease (in vitro): Broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral screening activity against multiple pathogens.
- Parasitic disease (in vitro): Trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma congolense demonstrated for selected lanostane triterpenoids.
Dosage Forms and Reported Dosages
The only published human clinical trial used a dosage of eight 500-mg capsules three times daily (TID) orally for four days, representing a total daily dose of 12,000 mg (12 g) of the combined F. officinalis/T. versicolor mycelial product. No other human dosages have been established in the peer-reviewed literature for this species. Preclinical studies use a wide range of extract concentrations that cannot be meaningfully extrapolated to human dosing without further pharmacokinetic data.
Conservation Status and Supply Considerations
Fomitopsis officinalis was placed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a species at risk of extinction and included in the list of 33 endangered species in Europe. In Europe, the species appears on Red Lists in at least six countries, with strict legal prohibitions on collection enforced in Poland since 1983 to curb historical over-harvesting. The species is protected by law in Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia.
Due to its medicinal effects, F. officinalis was increasingly gaining popularity among 18th- and 19th-century pharmacists, which led to a decline in its numbers in the natural habitat. Larch trees were simultaneously exploited for their wood, resin, and tanbark, which further reduced the occurrence of F. officinalis and contributed to its endangered status.
Agarikon grows very slowly and is rarely found, which made its use as a supplement very challenging. While the fungus is particularly difficult to cultivate, there has been some promising research with inoculating larch branches.
Safety Considerations
Toxicity data in humans are sparse, with potential for gastrointestinal irritation due to the fungus's inherent bitterness and woody composition, though systematic assessments are absent.
In the human RCT, safety metrics were similar for the FoTv and placebo groups, suggesting short-term tolerability at the dose studied (four days of eight 500-mg capsules TID). Safety outcomes included adverse events, as well as renal and hepatic function assessed on Days 1–14.
Interactions with pharmaceuticals remain unstudied, posing risks in polypharmacy contexts.
Fomitopsis officinalis is generally considered a non-toxic mushroom when processed properly; however, consumption in its raw form is not advised due to its extremely tough, fibrous texture and bitter taste.
Beyond the above, no formal toxicology studies in humans, and no established drug interaction data, have been reported in the peer-reviewed literature for this species as of 2025–2026. The absence of evidence of harm is not equivalent to demonstrated safety across populations, doses, or durations beyond the single short-term trial examined.
Summary of Evidence Strength
- Antimicrobial/anti-TB: Mechanistically plausible (chlorinated coumarin isolation confirmed); in vitro evidence for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis is notable but no human data exist.
- Antiviral: In vitro and animal (bee) data only; human confirmation lacking for this indication as a standalone agent.
- Immunomodulation / vaccine adjunct: One small human RCT (n=90, combination product) showing reduced side effects and preserved antibody response; requires replication with F. officinalis as a standalone agent.
- Anticancer: In vitro (cell lines) and zebrafish/mouse model evidence only; no human clinical data.
- Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective: Preliminary in vitro and animal evidence only; human data absent.
References
Go back