A comprehensive review of shiitake mushroom’s cultivation, nutritional attributes, therapeutic potential, and sustainable applications

Shiitake [Lentinula edodes (Berk)] is one of the most widely cultivated edible mushrooms worldwide, valued for its distinct flavour, nutritional richness, and therapeutic potential. Despite its long-standing culinary and medicinal use, existing literature addresses its various attributes in isolation, focusing either on cultivation methods, nutraceutical properties, or post-harvest processing. This comprehensive review aims to provide a detailed overview of shiitake mushroom biology, combining recent cultivation techniques, substrate-based nutritional modulation, bioactive compound profiling, and sustainable applications of spent shiitake substrate (SSS). Beginning with details on traditional and modern cultivation approaches, including log-based and sawdust-based synthetic methods, the review highlights how substrate type influences yield and nutrient content. The review further compiles major bioactive compounds and their preclinical evidence suggests roles in immunity, anticancer potential, metabolic health, and vitamin D supplementation. Importantly, this work highlights the emerging role of SSS in circular bioeconomy models, including its use in agriculture, bioremediation, and energy recovery. This review addresses a significant gap in existing literature by connecting traditional knowledge with contemporary research, emphasizing shiitake as both a gourmet and medicinal fungus. Additionally, it highlights shiitake as a sustainable biotechnological resource with applications in food, health, and environmental sectors.