Trametes versicolor (Coriolus versicolor, Turkey tail, Kawaratake, Yun-Zhi, 云芝)

is probably the best documented medicinal mushroom.

It is a mushroom which has provided the world with a leading cancer drug. The drug is known as Polysaccharide-K (Kresin, PSK, PSP) and its use is intended to counter-act the immune system depressing actions of common chemotherapeutic drugs. In Japan, the Health and Welfare Ministry (equivalent to the United State's Food and Drug Administration) approved Polysaccharide-K in the 1980s. All health care plans in Japan cover the use of Polysaccharide-K.

Used in conjunction with chemotherapy, PSK has increased the survival time of cancer patients in randomized, control studies, with the following types of cancer

* Stomach cancer
* Colorectal cancer
* Small cell carcinoma of the lungs
* Non-small cell lung carcinoma

The United State's top ranked cancer hospital, the MD Anderson has reported that, Polysaccharide-K is a "promising candidate for chemoprevention due to the multiple effects on the malignant process, limited side effects and safety of daily oral doses for extended periods of time."

This mushroom can be used to treat aspergillus niger, candida albicans, escherichia coli, steptococcus pneumoniae.