Sparassis crispa are edible but require thoroughly cleaning before consumption—the folds may contain dirt and other material because, as it grows, the
basidiocarp envelops objects such as pine needles. Italian
gastronome Antonio Carluccio said that
European
S. crispa should be picked when creamy white, because once yellow it is too indigestible to eat. The mushroom retains its cartilaginous texture after drying and reconstituting, which Carluccio takes to recommend inclusion in soups. as is
S. spathulata, a cauliflower mushroom which looks similar to
Grifola frondosa.
S. crispa is also widely used in
traditional Chinese medicine because it contains active pharmacological ingredients. In order to study its medicinal value better, the
genomic sequence of
S. crispa was published in October 2018. The dry weight of the basidiocarp was found to contain up to 43.6%
beta-glucan, which was approved for the treatment of cancer in Japan and most recently recommended for
COVID-19 patients to overcome
inflammation. Experiments suggest that
S. crispa contains chemicals that may stimulate the
immune system and has many biological properties including:
anti-tumor, antiviral activity (
reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity),
neuroprotection,
cardioprotection,
anti-inflammation,
hyperlipidemia,
anti-diabetic medication,
antimicrobial compounds, and
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). ==See also==