the present invention uses the whole or particulate mushroom agaricus blazei and extracts thereof to prevent and treat forms of damage to skin caused by environmental toxins and carcinogens . such damage includes neoplasms , skin cancers , damage from ultraviolet radiation , and chemical damage . it has been found that , when applied to the skin , this mushroom and extracts thereof offer protection from environmental pollutants , toxins , and carcinogens ( such as found in automobile emissions ) that attack the skin , and are palliative , alone or in combination with other treatments , for conditions caused by such pollutants , toxins , and carcinogens . when these components are extracted with water and contacted with the skin , alone or with other active ingredients , many such skin disorders can be prevented or treated in humans and animals . it has also been discovered that agaricus blazei contains component ( s ) which , when taken internally , are effective to treat or prevent disorders such as diabetes and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis , certain thyroid conditions , and lupus erythematosus . unlike previous studies with mushrooms showing enhanced immune function , agaricus blazei and its extracts can downregulate immune function in cases of autoimmune disorders . mushrooms of the species agaricus blazei have been cultivated , but are indigenous to the piedate mountain region outside sao paulo brazil . cultivation is difficult , because the mushroom requires conditions similar to its native piedate mountains , where there is a temperature variance between 20 ° c . and 35 ° c . daily , and an average humidity of about 80 %. commercial sources exist in japan , brazil , china , and the united states . a preferred source of agaricus blazei is sylvan , inc ., saxonburg , pa . this commercial source is particularly preferred because of the well controlled environment in which the mushrooms are cultivated , leading to a reliable product batch to batch . of particular concern are the following factors : 1 ) purity of the fungus — few or no contaminating bacteria , other fungi , or other ingredients . 2 ) growth conditions — uniform temperature and moisture conditions provide reliable growth , life cycle , and morphology characteristics . 3 ) nutrient and chemical composition — uniform soil and compost conditions provide fungus with reliable quantities of various active compounds that do not vary between batches . 4 ) controlled quantities of heavy metals — consistent growth media lead to mushrooms with lower content of toxic heavy metals such as mercury , cadmium , and arsenic , and controlled content of copper , manganese , etc . a . blazei can be used fresh or dried , and are extracted with a water or aqueous solution for use in the invention . by “ water extraction ” is meant that certain components are solubilized by any aqueous solvent . the extraction can be done by immersing mushrooms or parts thereof ( e . g ., spores , cap ( pileus ), stipe , annulus , gill / lamellae , basidia , filaments ), in any or all stages of the life cycle , whether whole or particulate ( e . g ., chopped or ground to powder ), in an aqueous solution ( including pure water ). the temperature of the aqueous solution can be varied to alter the amount or type of components extracted , but is preferably between about 26 ° c . and boiling ( about 100 ° c . ), more preferably over about 90 ° c . the aqueous solution in which the mushrooms have been extracted is preferably used , but the moistened mushrooms , if not fully extracted , can also be used topically or internally . any aqueous extraction protocol can be used , but a preferred extraction procedure is given in japanese publication jp 09315994a , which includes hot water extraction and further extraction of the residue with 5 % aqueous solution of ammonium oxalate , then decomposing the extract with hydrochloric acid and subjecting the material to gel permeation and purification with affinity chromatography . a more preferred extraction method is a plain hot water extraction , comprising exposing whole or particulate agaricus blazei to hot water , preferably over 90 ° c ., for at least 30 minutes , with at least occasional agitation or stirring . preferably , the ratio of mushroom to water is between about 1 : 2 and 1 : 100 ( wt / wt ), more preferably between about 1 : 2 . 5 and 1 : 25 ( wt / wt ). ratios depend on the planned use of the extract , for example , it is preferred to use about 1 part by weight dried mushroom to 50 parts by weight water for internal use , and 1 parts by weight dried mushroom to 2 . 67 parts by weight of water for use in skin treatment compositions . optionally the products may be freeze dried or concentrated using water or methanol or acetone solutions . a flow - chart of these various extraction methods is shown in fig1 . identified compounds that have been extracted from agaricus blazei include polysaccharide - glucan , ( exhibits anti - tumor and blood glucose reduction effects through actions on , e . g ., nk cells , t cells , macrophages and other immune cells , possibly through regulation of interferon release ); steroids ( exhibit anticancer effects and effects on osteoporosis through inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and vitamin d2 regulation ); dietary fiber and linoleic acid ( aid in prevention of high blood pressure , arterial sclerosis , and improvement of hepatic disfunction ); ergosterol ; nicotinic acid amide ; benzoic acid ; beta glucans ; and others . fig2 , illustrates the separation procedure and the fractions obtained thereby . as shown , the above compounds can be obtained controllably and reproducibly in different fractions and subfractions of a methanol extract of the agaricus blazei mushroom . although only extracts of agaricus blazei are discussed above , any form of agaricus blazei incorporating the active ingredients described above may be utilized in the present invention . for example , whole or particulate mushrooms in any form may be utilized to provide the necessary active ingredients . in one embodiment of the current invention whole agaricus blazei is ground into a powder and mixed into a topical or oral formulation to provide the therapeutic properties of the current invention . the above manufacturing techniques may utilize any portion and any life stage of the agaricus blazei . for example , the mushroom cap and / or stem may be used in any of the formulations of the invention . in addition , any or all of the four life stage of the mushroom : spore , mycelium , primordia , and fruit body may be used to make the formulations of the present invention . in one preferred embodiment , all agaricus blazei mushrooms in all four life stages are used together in a single formulation . examples of skin conditions that may be prevented or treated by using compositions of the invention include the following . skin neoplasms may be benign or malignant , congenital or acquired , and they may arise from any component of the skin . the common mole ( melanocytic nevus ) is a neoplasm of benign melanocytes ; usually it is acquired , but it may be present at birth , when it is often known as a birthmark . certain neoplasms , such as giant congenital melanocytic nevi , can become malignant and can be treated with the compositions of the invention to prevent malignancy . malignant neoplasms may arise from cellular elements of the epidermis or dermis , or by infiltration of the skin by malignant cells arising from other tissues . the most common are basal cell and squamous cell cancers , which arise from basal and squamous keratinocytes of the epidermis , respectively . these constitute the most common form of cancer in the united states , with over 600 , 000 new cases per year . they are caused by the cumulative effects of ultraviolet radiation on the skin . they are locally invasive in almost all cases , rarely metastasize or cause death , and are readily recognized . they usually are characterized by a non - healing sore , persistent red scaling or crusting patch , or a slowly growing pearly nodule on skin that has been exposed to the sun ; they occur mostly on the head , neck , hands , and arms . additionally , some papilloma viruses are associated with cervical cancer and skin cancer . the compositions of the invention , topically or orally administered , are suitable for use to prevent or treat such lesions , and they may be used with any other therapies . they are sufficiently easy to use that patient compliance is high . malignant melanoma arises from the pigment - forming melanocyte , and thus it is usually pigmented . other signs and symptoms , such as bleeding , pain , and itching , are less frequent , often occurring as late manifestations . malignant melanoma is one of the most rapidly increasing cancers , probably related to increased ultraviolet radiation exposure . extracts of agaricus blazei according to the invention aid in preventing the occurrence of melanoma from such environmental radiation exposure . two unusual multicentric primary skin malignancies are mycosis fungoides and kaposi &# 39 ; s sarcoma . mycosis fungoides is a lymphoma of the skin , usually present in several sites when first diagnosed , that may remain confined to the skin for 10 or more years before eventually spreading to internal organs and causing death . kaposi &# 39 ; s sarcoma is usually not fatal , although it may eventually spread to internal organs and may cause significant morbidity . there are numerous other primary skin cancers , which occur less frequently . examples of viral diseases that affect the skin include viral warts ( verruca vulgaris ) and molluscum contagiosum . both are characterized by single or multiple , somewhat contagious , skin tumors that usually are small but can in rare instances exceed 0 . 4 in . ( 1 cm ) in diameter . prevention and treatment of such conditions by application of compositions and methods of the invention can be as follows . the extract for use in skin treatments is preferably extracted at a ratio of about one part mushroom by weight to 2 - 5 parts aqueous solution using extraction methods described above . this extract can be used directly on the skin ( at 100 % strength ), but is preferably put into a formulation for use on the skin in a concentration of at least 0 . 01 % vol / vol , preferably at least 0 . 05 %, and most preferably between about 0 . 05 % and 50 %. although specific volume concentrations are provided above , any composition suitable for preventing or treating disorders in a user may be utilized in the present invention . the balance of ingredients in such compositions can be other active or inactive ingredients , depending on the properties of the composition desired . for example , other ingredients can be such things as sunscreens , glycolic acid , colostrum , vitamin c or other vitamins , herb extracts such as chamomile or lavender ( available from sources such as pacific research , inc . tx ), and suitable excipients or emollients . the extracts of the invention are preferably compounded with other active and / or inactive ingredients to make application easy and pleasant , or to provide other therapeutic or aesthetic advantages . such products are preferably in the form of body or face creams or lotions , but can also include a variety of other products , such as products for use in the bath these products would include products where the whole or particulate mushroom or its extracts are added to a disposable porous material bag to be placed into bathwater , or added to compressed cubes or other physical forms of powder and gel , including effervescent blocks ; bath gel ; scented bath and body oils ; bubble bath ; bath salts or crystals , combined , e . g ., with sea salts or other minerals ; body wash ; body scrub ( exfoliators ); soft - capsule “ pearls ” or balls ; soap of any type , including liquid , bars , granules or flakes ; liquid gels for children that tint the water , or tub gel “ paints ” ( e . g ., soap - based ); and aromatherapy additives . products for topical application include adding the mushroom or its extracts to spritzers and sprays , e . g ., perfume , eau de parfum ; body splash ( light fragrance ); scented and unscented body lotions and emollients , including moisturizers , ointments , greases , skin softeners ; body oils , powders , gels , purees or emulsifications of various natural items like fruit and herbs ; shampoos , conditioners and creme rinses ; body muds and masks ; foam ( e . g ., shaving creams ); cooling gels ; make - up removal creams ; tanning gels , creams , and lotions , including sunscreen - containing products or self - tanning products ; lip balm ; cosmetics ; astringents , moisturizers , exfoliators , makeup removers and nail care products , such as polish , cuticle oil , polish remover ; generally , any products containing “ slip ” ( a binder that allows pigment to slide across the skin ); and any other product that softens the skin or soothes irritation in the skin . to gain the maximum protective and therapeutic benefits of the extracts of agaricus blazei , whether alone or mixed with other ingredients , the extract should be applied at least once a day , particularly before exposure to pollutants such as automobile emissions , but can be applied as often as desired ( for example , after swimming or bathing ), or as infrequently as desired . failure of immune tolerance to self constituents results in an autoimmune response which is often associated with autoimmune disease . autoimmune disease occurs when the autoimmune response to self constituents has damaging effects of a structural or functional character . failure of immune regulation is responsible for autoimmune disease . many human diseases can be attributed to autoimmune reactions . circulating autoantibodies are responsible for diseases in which there is intravascular destruction , for example , the red blood cells in hemolytic anemia . t lymphocytes may be responsible for some types of thyroid goiter , such as hashimoto &# 39 ; s disease ; a stomach mucosal degeneration that results in nonabsorption of vitamin b 12 and thus the blood disease pernicious anemia ; the insulin - dependent or juvenile type of diabetes mellitus ; and one type of chronic hepatitis . immune complexes cause glomerulonephritis and most of the features of systemic lupus erythematosus , in which autoantibodies are formed to various constituents of cell nuclei . in sjongren &# 39 ; s disease , in which salivary and lacrimal glands are destroyed , damage by t lymphocytes within the glands may be accompanied by damage by immune complexes throughout the body . some autoimmune diseases are caused by antibodies to cell receptors , which either block neuromuscular transmission , as in myasthenia gravis , or stimulate thyroid cells to overactivity , as in graves &# 39 ; disease . some important human diseases may be autoimmune disorders , including rheumatoid arthritis , multiple sclerosis , and ulcerative colitis . to prevent and treat conditions such as diabetes , lupus , rheumatism , certain types of cancer , etc ., with the extracts and methods of the invention , extraction of between about 1 : 25 and 1 : 100 mushroom to water ( wt / wt ) is preferred , more preferably in weight of dried mushrooms or particulates . alternatively , whole or particulate mushrooms can be eaten ( for extraction by digestion , or soaked in water to make a tea for consumption . this treatment can be used alone or in combination with any other therapy . it has the advantage of being a natural , safe , and nutritious therapy when taken internally , and does not interact with pharmaceutical compounds that are taken concurrently . in alternative forms the agricus blazei may be put in the form of actual food products or in dietary supplements . the extract can be formulated as a liquid , capsule , or pill for oral use , using any excipients or methods known to those of skill in the pharmaceutical arts , for example using methods disclosed in remington : the science and practice of pharmacy , 19th ed . ( 1995 ) mack publishing company , easton , pa . ; herein incorporated by reference . extract to be used in certain forms ( e . g ., tablets ), will generally be dried before compounding with excipients to make that formulation . compressed tablets can be formed by compression and may or may not be coated ( e . g ., with sugar , film , time - release , or enteric coatings ). they are made from powdered , crystalline , or granular agaricus material or dried extract , alone or in combination with binders , disintegrants , controlled - release polymers , lubricants , diluents , flavorings and colorants . gelatin capsules can be filled with powdered , crystalline , or granular agaricus material or dried extract . solutions , emulsions , suspensions , and extracts for internal or external use may be prepared by dissolving the agaricus blazei extract in an aqueous or nonaqueous solvent , using , for example , ingredients such as mineral oil , fish oils , or fruit , spice or vegetable oil ; ethanol ; water ; glycerin ; sorbitol ; propylene glycol ; flavoring agents ; preservatives ; and syrups . creams and lotions for external use are intended to mean liquid or semiliquid preparations that contain one or more active ingredients in suitable excipients , and are generally suspensions of solids in an aqueous medium . a wide variety of ingredients may be added to the preparation to produce better dispersions or to accentuate cooling , soothing , drying , or protective properties . bentonite is an example of a suspending agent used in the preparation of lotions . methylcellulose or sodium carboxymethylcellulose , for example , will hold the active ingredient in contact with the skin and is also easy to rinse off with water . a formulation containing glycerin will keep the skin moist . alcohols will add a drying and cooling effect . although the above embodiments primarily discuss formulations for humans , the formulations may also be directed to preventing and treating disorders in domestic or livestock animals . for example , the agaricus blazei could be mixed with a meal base to form animal food , such as domestic animal pet food or livestock feed . alternatively , the agaricus blazei could be formulated into a pet or livestock medication or dietary supplement . as with the topical compositions , additional appropriate active and inactive ingredients may be used , such as herbal extracts and / or vitamins such as vitamin c . appropriate dosages for maximum therapeutic benefit are preferably equivalent to an amount extracted from between about 2 g to about 10 g of dried agaricus blazei per day . larger or smaller doses can be taken as well without adverse affect . the extract can be taken daily in one or more doses , but a preferred regimen of dosing is a 10 to 30 day course of therapy , preferably with intervals of between 1 - 10 days on the extract followed by 1 - 10 days off of the extract . the cytotoxicity of eight different preparations of agaricus balzei made using the extraction techniques described in fig1 were tested utilizing a sulforhodamine b microtitre plate assay , according to the procedure described in : j . n . c . o ., 82 : 1107 - 1112 ( 1990 ), incorporated herein by reference . in this procedure , samples of the various extracts were assayed over three days for cytotoxicity to a variety of human tumor cell lines , including : glioelastoma ( htcl : u - 87 - mg ); bone ( htcl : hos ); breast ( htcl : mcf - 7 ); and melanoma ( htcl : sk - mel - 2 ). the tumor cells utilized were cultured in an rpmi - 1640 growth medium , supplemented with 25 mm hepes , 2 % ( w / v ) sodium bicarbonate , 10 % ( v / v ) fetal bovine serum and 100 μg / ml kanamycin . the cultures were maintained in a humidified atmosphere of 5 % carbon dioxide at 27 ° c . the cells were then treated with duplicate treatments of 20 and 10 μg / ml of the screen compound extract . the interpolated ed 50 values from the dose - response curves generated from the assays are reported in table 1 , below . in addition , the extracts above were tested in vitro to determine their biological activities relative to each other and to the control . comparing the viability of the tumor cells in these samples treated with the test extract with the tumor cell control sample allows for a calculation of the relative ratio of the extract activation with respect to the positive control , as shown in table 2 , below . in this test a solution of ebv genome - carrying , non - producer raji cells were treated with 4 mmol of n - butyric acid and 20 ng of a tumor producing agent ( tpa ) to activate tumors therein . the cells were then dosed with a solution of the test compound in dmso . the cells were then cultured as described above in a carbon dioxide incubator for 48 hours at 37 ° c . the cells were then smeared and the smears stained by an npc serum for the ebv - ea producing cells by indirect immunofluorescence . according to the above results , then , the extract of chcl 3 has the greatest active inhibitory effect among the extracts tested . the results indicate that the order of activity of the most to least active of the extracts is as follows : mk - saw - c & gt ; f4 & gt ; f3 & gt ; f2 & gt ; saw & gt ; f1 & gt ; f1 - 2 . however , all of the extracts showed greater inhibitory effect than did the control sample indicating that the agaricus blazei extract can be used to inhibit a variety of tumor cells . the table below shows that agaricus blazei murill produced good results for both complete recovery and for anti cancer effect . the experiment used mice of between five and six weeks old . vaccinating sarcoma 180 ( a type of cancer cell ) into the femur of these mice normally causes cancer to spread to the entire body over four to five weeks , resulting in the death of almost all these animals . the fungus extract was first administered 24 hours after vaccination , when the cancer cells were firmly embedded in the animals &# 39 ; tissues , and the process continued for 10 consecutive days . the results were then recorded four to five weeks later . the experiment was repeated on groups of between five and ten mice , which were each given a different fungus extract . the mean values taken from these experiments were expressed as percentages . the anti cancer effect rate represents the percentage of mice which fully recovered from the cancer induced by an initial vaccination of sarcoma 180 and in whom a second vaccination of sarcoma 180 failed because the cancer cells could not be successfully embedded . from these results , it was deduced that the fungus extract ( component primarily comprising a high - molecular polysaccharide ) activates the immunity of normal biological tissue , so that even when a virus or other external factors enter the tissue , macrophage and interferon production within the tissue is vitalized to prevent the multiplication , metastasis and reoccurrence of cancer cells . the results of this test including the daily dosage for each of the administered materials , the rate of complete recovery and the “ anti cancer ” effect for each of the materials is provided in summary in table 3 , below . tumors were initiated in mice with dmba ( 390 nmol ) and promoted with 1 . 7 nmol of tpa given twice weekly starting 1 week after initiation . mice to be treated were given 0 . 0025 % agaricus aqueous extract in their drinking water and compared to control mice initiated and promoted in the same way but given normal drinking water ( fig3 and 4 ). table 4 , below and fig5 and 6 show the inhibitory effects of orally administered agaricus aqueous extract on tumor proliferation . at 20 weeks of promotion , controls significantly differed from the treated group in papillomas per mouse ( p & gt ; 0 . 05 ) and in the number of mice showing the presence of papillomas . in a second experiment tumors were initiated in mice with dmba ( 390 nmol ) and promoted with eight minute exposures of 3430 j / m 2 uvb light given twice weekly starting 1 week after initiation . mice to be treated were given 0 . 0025 % agaricus aqueous extract in their drinking water and compared to control mice initiated and promoted in the same way but given normal drinking water ( fig7 and 8 ). table 5 , below shows the inhibitory effects of orally administered agaricus aqueous extract on tumor proliferation . at 20 weeks of promotion , controls significantly differed from the treated group in papillomas per mouse ( p & gt ; 0 . 01 ) and in the number of mice showing the presence of papillomas . in a third experiment tumors were initiated in mice with dmba ( 390 nmol ) and promoted with eight minute exposures of 3430 j / m 2 uvb light given twice weekly starting 1 week after initiation . mice to be treated were given 50 μg of agaricus aqueous extract by topical application 1 hour prior to exposure to the uvb light source and compared to control mice initiated and promoted in the same way but given no extract ( fig9 and 10 ). table 6 , below and fig1 and 12 show the inhibitory effects of orally administered agaricus aqueous extract on tumor proliferation . as the results above show , at 20 weeks of promotion , controls significantly differed from the treated group in papillomas per mouse ( p & gt ; 0 . 05 ) and in the number of mice showing the presence of papillomas the preceding description and examples are intended to be illustrative . for example , although the above dosages are given for treatment and prevention of tumors in animals , it will be understood that these dosages can be easily converted to human dosages through well know body weight differentiation calculations . in this calculation the weight of the test animal and the patient are ratioed and the dosage corrected accordingly . in this case the average weight of a mouse used in the above experiments is 30 g , while the average weight of a human is 60 kg , a weight difference of 2000 . accordingly , the dosages reported above can be easily converted to humans by taking the effective amount given to the mice and converting it to the dosage required to provide a similar effect for the larger mass of the human body . for example , in the oral feeding dosage a mouse consumes 7 ml of agaricus aqueous extract having a dilution ratio of 2 . 5 mg / 100 mg . during the course of a twenty week treatment , an average mouse took 24 . 5 mg of agaricus extract . converting this dosage to humans yields a dosage of about 49 g of agaricus or approximately 122 mg twice a week . in the topical application a typical mouse received 50 μg of agaricus extract for 20 weeks . converting this dosage to humans yields a total dosage of 4 g of agaricus extract , or approximately two applications of 100 mg of agaricus each week . those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described protocols may be practiced without departing from the meaning , spirit , and scope of this invention . therefore , the foregoing description should be read to have its fullest and fair scope .
agaricus blazei in whole , particulate , or extracted form , are useful as a barrier when applied to the skin against harmful effects of environmental toxins , pollution , chemicals , and radiation . taken internally , whole , particulate , or extracted agaricus blazei offer protection from various disorders such as autoimmune disorders , and alone or in conjunction with other therapies , can be beneficial to treat such disorders .