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Omnia Sana · Plant Monograph

Chaga

Inonotus obliquus

Family HymenochaetaceaeParts used Mycelium, Whole PlantAlso known as Chaga mushroom, clinker polypore, birch conk

This monograph compiles 4 pharmacological actions, 8 traditional / indicated uses, supported by 16 cited sources, drawn directly from the Omnia Sana plant database.

Pharmacological Actions

Anti-inflammatory[4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16]
Antimicrobial[14, 15, 16]
Antioxidant[8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16]
Immunomodulator / immune support[2, 4, 7, 14, 15, 16]

Traditional & Indicated Uses

Arthritis / joint pain[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

more plants for arthritis / joint pain →detailed sources →
Cold & flu[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from immunomodulator action

more plants for cold & flu →detailed sources →
Immune support[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10
more plants for immune support →detailed sources →
Infection (general)[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antimicrobial action

more plants for infection (general) →detailed sources →
Inflammation (general)[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

more plants for inflammation (general) →detailed sources →
Metabolic support[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10
more plants for metabolic support →detailed sources →
Skin irritation[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

more plants for skin irritation →detailed sources →
Wounds[14, 15, 16]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antimicrobial action

more plants for wounds →detailed sources →

Safety, Cautions & Contraindications

Safety note[14, 15, 16]Caution

Autoimmune conditions: Chaga can stimulate parts of the immune system—people with autoimmune diseases should be cautious.Blood thinners: Chaga contains compounds that may affect clotting—avoid large doses if on anticoagulants.Blood sugar meds: May slightly lower glucose—monitor if taking diabetes medication.Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Limited safety data—best avoided unless guided by a professional.Quality matters: Wild-harvested Chaga can accumulate heavy metals from trees and soil—source from reputable suppliers.

Safety note[14, 15, 16]Info

Duke (2002) does not include a dedicated entry for chaga (Inonotus obliquus) in the Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition, as this medicinal fungus was not widely documented in Western herbal literature at that time (Duke, 2002).

References

REF-0848, REF-0849, REF-0850, REF-2195, REF-2196, REF-2197, REF-2198, REF-2199, REF-2200, REF-2201, REF-2202, REF-2203, REF-2204

References & Sources

  1. Camilleri, E., Blundell, R., Baral, B., Karpinski, T.M. et al (2024) 'A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (chaga) mushrooms', Heliyon, 10(15), pp. e35638. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35638 Traditional / reference
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35638
  2. Lu, Y., Jia, Y., Xue, Z., Li, N. et al (2021) 'Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application', Polymers (Basel), 13(9), pp. 1441. doi:10.3390/polym13091441 Traditional / reference
    https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13091441
  3. Kobus, Z., Krzywicka, M., Blicharz-Kania, A., Bosacka, A. et al (2024) 'Impact of Incorporating Dried Chaga Mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) into Gluten-Free Bread on Its Antioxidant and Sensory Characteristics', Molecules, 29(16), pp. 3801. doi:10.3390/molecules29163801 Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29163801
  4. Szychowski, K.A., Skora, B., Pomianek, T. and Gminski, J (2020) 'Inonotus obliquus - from folk medicine to clinical use', Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 11(4), pp. 293-302. doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2020.08.003 Meta-analysis / review
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2020.08.003
  5. Javed, S., Mitchell, K., Sidsworth, D., Sellers, S.L., Reutens-Hernandez, J., Massicotte, H.B., Egger, K.N., Lee, C.H. and Payne, G.W (2019) 'Inonotus obliquus attenuates histamine-induced microvascular inflammation', PLoS One, 14(8), pp. e0220776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0220776 Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220776
  6. Zou, C., Hou, Z., Bai, M., Guo, R., Lin, B., Wang, X., Huang, X. and Song, S (2020) 'Highly modified steroids from Inonotus obliquus', Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 18(20), pp. 3908-3916. doi:10.1039/d0ob00474j Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ob00474j
  7. Zhong, X.H., Ren, K., Lu, S.J., Yang, S.Y. and Sun, D.Z (2009) 'Progress of research on Inonotus obliquus', Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 15(2), pp. 156-160. doi:10.1007/s11655-009-0156-2 Meta-analysis / review
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-009-0156-2
  8. Burmasova, M.A., Utebaeva, A.A., Sysoeva, E.V. and Sysoeva, M.A (2019) 'Melanins of Inonotus obliquus: bifidogenic and antioxidant properties', Biomolecules, 9(6), pp. 248. doi:10.3390/biom9060248 Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9060248
  9. Sun, Y., Deng, X., Li, Z., Dong, Y., Jiang, W., Ma, Y., Zhou, W., Zhu, T., Wang, G., Liu, S. and Hu, B (2022) 'Polysaccharide derived from Inonotus obliquus inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced acute endometritis in mice', American Journal of Translational Research, 14(11), pp. 8332-8342. Preclinical
    Find this source
  10. Ishfaq, P.M., Mishra, S., Mishra, A., Ahmad, Z., Gayen, S., Jain, S.K., Tripathi, S. and Mishra, S.K (2022) 'Inonotus obliquus aqueous extract prevents histopathological alterations in liver induced by environmental toxicant Microcystin', Current Research in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery, 3, pp. 100118. doi:10.1016/j.crphar.2022.100118 Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crphar.2022.100118
  11. Peng, A., Liu, S., Fang, L., Zhu, Z., Zhou, Y., Yue, S., Ma, Z., Liu, X., Xue, S., Qiu, Y. and Qi, R (2022) 'Inonotus obliquus and its bioactive compounds alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via regulating FXR/SHP/SREBP-1c axis', European Journal of Pharmacology, 921, pp. 174841. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.174841 Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.174841
  12. Zhang, Y., Liu, Q., Sun, Y. and Jiang, J (2023) 'Inonotus obliquus sclerotia epidermis were different from internal tissues in compound composition, antioxidant activity, and associated fungi', FEMS Microbiology Letters, 370, pp. fnad126. doi:10.1093/femsle/fnad126 Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnad126
  13. Yu, S., Lai, Z., Xue, H., Zhu, J., Yue, G., Wang, J. and Jin, L.H (2024) 'Inonotus obliquus aqueous extract inhibits intestinal inflammation and insulin metabolism defects in Drosophila', Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, 34(9), pp. 970-984. doi:10.1080/15376516.2024.2368795 Preclinical
    https://doi.org/10.1080/15376516.2024.2368795
  14. Géry, A., Dubreule, C., André, V., Rioult, J.P., Bouchart, V., Heutte, N., Eldin de Pécoulas, P., Krivomaz, T. and Garon, D (2018) 'Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), a future potential medicinal fungus in oncology? A chemical study and a comparison of the cytotoxicity against human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549) and human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B)', 17(3), pp. 832--843. Traditional / reference
    Find this source
  15. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
    https://powo.science.kew.org
  16. Shashkina, M.Ya., Shashkin, P.N. and Sergeev, A.V (2006) 'Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga', 40(10), pp. 560--568. Traditional / reference
    Find this source

Record last updated 2026-06-20 · Provenance: book+pubmed · Status: verified

This fact sheet is generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and reflects its latest synced data. It is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.

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