Plant Comparison
Shiitake (mushroom) vs Japanese Rose
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Shiitake (mushroom) and Japanese Rose: they share 4 indicated uses (cancer (anticancer research), cardiovascular / heart health, cold & flu, …); 3 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Shiitake (mushroom) | Japanese Rose | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer (anticancer research) | 2/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Cardiovascular / heart health | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Japanese Rose |
| Cold & flu | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Japanese Rose |
| Immune support | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Japanese Rose |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
The principal immunomodulatory polysaccharide, used clinically in Japan as an injectable cancer-adjuvant therapy.
A unique amino-acid-derived compound studied for cholesterol-lowering activity.
The dominant bioactive class, driving much of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Studied for immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and gut-microbiota-modulating effects.
Concentrated in the hips, underpinning their traditional food-tonic use.
Isolated from the root and studied for antioxidant/neuroprotective activity.
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from antidiabetic action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from antidiabetic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Generally very safe as a food. Raw or undercooked shiitake can cause a rare skin rash (shiitake dermatitis / flagellate dermatitis) in sensitive individuals — fully cooking eliminates this risk. May have mild anticoagulant effects. Rarely causes digestive upset. Well tolerated in normal culinary quantities.
Duke (2002) rates shiitake as +++ and notes immunostimulant, hypocholesterolemic, antibacterial, and anti-HIV activities at the experimental level (score 1). The key active compound is lentinan, a beta-1,3-glucan polysaccharide, which is used as an injectable anticancer drug in Japan. Duke notes clinical applications of shiitake preparations for immune support, cancer adjuvant therapy, and cholesterol management. Dose: 1–3 (606 mg) capsules up to three times daily for standardized preparations. Shiitake dermatitis (flagellate erythema) is a rare but recognized adverse effect from eating raw or undercooked shiitake — cooking prevents this (Duke, 2002).
Generally safe as a food plant. Rose hips should be used after removing the achenes (seeds and inner hairs), which can cause irritation. Allergic reactions are rare. No significant drug interactions documented.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Wood-decay fungus (not a true plant) with a classic cap-and-stem mushroom form. The cap is broad, brown to dark brown, often with pale scale-like markings, with a fringed or curled margin when young; the underside bears numerous cream-coloured gills radiating from a central or slightly off-centre fibrous stem.
Dense, thicket-forming deciduous shrub (Rosaceae), 1-1.5 m tall (occasionally to 2 m), with stems densely covered in numerous straight, bristly thorns. Leaves are pinnate with 5-9 deeply veined, glossy, leathery leaflets. Large, fragrant, deep pink to white, five-petalled flowers are followed by large, tomato-red, flattened-globose hips.[2]
Habitat
Grows naturally as a wood-decay fungus on fallen broadleaf trees (notably shii, oak and chestnut) in East Asian forests; almost all commercial shiitake today is cultivated on hardwood logs or sawdust blocks.
Native to coastal eastern Asia (Japan, Korea, China, far-eastern Russia), typically growing on sand dunes and coastal scrub. Widely planted and naturalised as an ornamental and hedging shrub, notably tolerant of salt spray, wind and poor sandy soils, in temperate coastal regions worldwide.[2]
Harvesting
Fruiting bodies are hand-picked once the cap has opened but before the margin fully flattens, then used fresh or dried; mycelium-based extracts are cultivated separately in liquid or grain culture.
Flowers/petals are picked as they open in summer; hips are picked in autumn once fully coloured and slightly softened.[2]
Traditional Uses
Shiitake has a very long East Asian culinary and medicinal tradition, used in Chinese and Japanese medicine as a tonic for vitality and longevity and to support healthy qi and blood; its polysaccharide lentinan, isolated from the fruiting body, has been used clinically in Japan as an adjunct immunotherapy, directly building on this traditional immune-tonic reputation.[11]
Rosa rugosa has a long East Asian tradition - particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the flower is known as 'Mei Gui Hua' - as a mood-regulating, digestive and menstrual-cycle-supporting remedy, and the vitamin-C-rich hips are used as a food tonic. Modern research on its flavonoid- and polysaccharide-rich extracts supports broad antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity.[2]
Preparations
Fruiting-body or mycelium extract standardised to polysaccharide (lentinan/beta-glucan) content, taken as capsules for immune support.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dosage
Not documented
Traditional guidance suggests roughly 3-6 g dried flower per cup as an infusion, or hip tea/syrup at similar strength, taken once or twice daily. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References & Sources
- Jafari, M., Boskabady, M.H., Rezaee, S.A., Rezaeian, S. and others (2023) 'Lentinan and beta-glucan extract from shiitake mushroom, Lentinula edodes, alleviate acute LPS-induced hematological changes in mice', Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, 26(7), pp. 836-842. doi:10.22038/IJBMS.2023.67669.14820 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.22038/IJBMS.2023.67669.14820 - Ahn, H., Jeon, E., Kim, J.C., Kang, S.G. and others (2017) 'Lentinan from shiitake selectively attenuates AIM2 and non-canonical inflammasome activation while inducing pro-inflammatory cytokine production', Scientific Reports, 7(1), pp. 1314. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01462-4 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01462-4 - Okamoto, T., Kodoi, R., Nonaka, Y., Fukuda, I. and others (2004) 'Lentinan from shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) suppresses expression of cytochrome P450 1A subfamily in the mouse liver', BioFactors, 21(1-4), pp. 407-409. doi:10.1002/biof.552210180 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/biof.552210180 - Ng, M.L. and Yap, A.T (2002) 'Inhibition of human colon carcinoma development by lentinan from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes)', Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 8(5), pp. 581-589. doi:10.1089/107555302320825093 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1089/107555302320825093 - Bisen, P.S., Baghel, R.K., Sanodiya, B.S., Thakur, G.S. and Prasad, G.B.K.S (2010) 'Lentinus edodes: a macrofungus with pharmacological activities', Current Medicinal Chemistry, 17(22), pp. 2419-2430. doi:10.2174/092986710791698495 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.2174/092986710791698495 - Stephany, M.P., Chung, S., Handler, M.Z., Handler, N.S. and others (2016) 'Shiitake Mushroom Dermatitis: A Review', American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 17(5), pp. 485-489. doi:10.1007/s40257-016-0212-6 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-016-0212-6 - Nguyen, A.H., Gonzaga, M.I., Lim, V.M., Adler, M.J. and others (2017) 'Clinical features of shiitake dermatitis: a systematic review', International Journal of Dermatology, 56(6), pp. 610-616. doi:10.1111/ijd.13433 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.13433 - Djordjevic, B., Skugor, S., Jorgensen, S.M., Overland, M. and others (2009) 'Modulation of splenic immune responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed lentinan, a beta-glucan from mushroom Lentinula edodes', Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 26(2), pp. 201-209. doi:10.1016/j.fsi.2008.10.012 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2008.10.012 - Kaleta, B., Gorski, A., Zagozdzon, R., Cieslak, M. and others (2019) 'Selenium-containing polysaccharides from Lentinula edodes-Biological activity', Carbohydrate Polymers, 223, pp. 115078. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115078 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115078 - Money, N.P (2016) 'Are mushrooms medicinal?', Fungal Biology, 120(4), pp. 449-453. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2016.01.006 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2016.01.006 - Vethanayagam, R.R. et al (1996) 'Lentinan — a novel immunomodulator', 54(2), pp. 25--30. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Lentinan%20%E2%80%94%20a%20novel%20immunomodulator - Wasser, S.P (2011) 'Current findings, future trends, and unsolved problems in studies of medicinal mushrooms', 89(5), pp. 1323--1332. doi:10.1007/s00253-010-3067-4 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-3067-4 - Yokota, M (1989) 'Observatory trial of anti-obesity activity of Eritadenine', pp. 1--4. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Observatory%20trial%20of%20anti-obesity%20activity%20of%20Eritadenine - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition
- Zhang, Z., Hu, W., Yu, A., Bai, M. and others (2024) 'Physicochemical properties, health benefits, and applications of the polysaccharides from Rosa rugosa Thunb.: A review', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 282(Pt 3), pp. 136975. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136975 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136975 - Dong, X., Li, Y., Yang, K., Zhang, L. and others (2024) 'Total flavonoids from Rosa rugosa Thunb.: A comprehensive review of its extraction and purification process, chemical composition, biological effect and applications', Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 398(3), pp. 2343-2363. doi:10.1007/s00210-024-03504-x Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-024-03504-x - Kim, J., Lee, S., Park, H. and others (2024) 'Hair Growth Effect and the Mechanisms of Rosa rugosa Extract in DHT-Induced Alopecia Mice Model', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(21), pp. 11362. doi:10.3390/ijms252111362 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111362 - Baiyisaiti, A., Liu, Y., Zhang, J. and Yang, R (2019) 'Rosa rugosa flavonoids exhibited PPAR-alpha agonist-like effects on genetic severe hypertriglyceridemia of mice', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 240, pp. 111952. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2019.111952 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.111952 - Lei, L., Zhu, Y., Gao, W., Du, X. and others (2023) 'Ethanol Extract of Rosa rugosa Ameliorates Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury via Upregulating Sirt1 and Subsequent Potentiation of LKB1/AMPK/Nrf2 Cascade in Hepatocytes', Molecules, 28(21), pp. 7307. doi:10.3390/molecules28217307 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217307 - Dai, C., Zheng, X., Zhu, J., Zhang, H. and others (2025) 'Polysaccharides derived from Rosa rugosa cv. Plena ameliorate colorectal cancer by regulating intestinal microbiota composition and lipid metabolism pathway', NPJ Science of Food, 9(1), pp. 176. doi:10.1038/s41538-025-00544-2 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00544-2 - Chen, M., Peng, Y., Zhu, R., Luo, X. and others (2025) 'Therapeutic potential of Rosa rugosa polysaccharide and its nanofiber membrane in psoriasis via PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway inhibition', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 320(Pt 2), pp. 145724. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145724 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145724 - Park, C.K., Choi, S.J., Kim, C.R., Shin, H.R. and others (2025) 'Ethanolic Extract of Rosa rugosa Roots and Its Bioactive Compound, Oleamide, Prevented Amyloid beta-Induced Oxidative Stress and Improved Behavioral Tests in Mice', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(9), pp. 4214. doi:10.3390/ijms26094214 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094214 - Ashraf, S., Ashraf, M.Z., Miao, B. and Zhao, X (2025) 'Optimizing Extraction Methods for Bioactive Polysaccharides from Rosa rugosa and Rosa damascena', Foods, 14(18), pp. 3211. doi:10.3390/foods14183211 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183211 - Liu, X., Liu, H., Zhang, Y. and others (2022) 'Rosa rugosa polysaccharide induces autophagy-mediated apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 212, pp. 257-274. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.023 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.023 - Chrubasik, C., Roufogalis, B.D., Müller-Ladner, U. and Chrubasik, S (2008) 'A systematic review on the Rosa canina effect and efficacy profiles', 22(6), pp. 725--733. doi:10.1002/ptr.2400 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2400 - Grieve, M (1931) 'A Modern Herbal'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=A%20Modern%20Herbal - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.