MycoThrive™ Functional Mushrooms
A more advanced standard for functional mushrooms.
AFS created MycoThrive™ to help move mushroom formulation beyond commodity powders and generic claims. Our 100% fruiting body extracts are standardized to beta-1,3/1,6 glucans and supported by advanced extraction, species-specific characterization, and ongoing research into the compounds that help define mushroom efficacy (i.e., further characterization of “measurable hericenones in Lion’s Mane” or “cordycepin and adenosine in Cordyceps”). The result is a high-quality line of functional mushrooms designed to give brands more meaningful differentiation across cognition, mood, energy, immune support, and healthy aging applications.
Key Benefits
- 100% fruiting bodies
- Free-from grain fillers or substrates
- Sustainably and ethically sourced
- Standardized to beta-glucans (1,3 / 1,6)
- Further characterized by measurable secondary compounds of interest
Target Markets and Applications
- Supplements
- Functional Beverages
- Powdered Drink Mixes
- Gummies
- Tinctures
- Bars, etc.
Lion's Mane
(Hericium Erinaceus)
MycoThrive™ Lion’s Mane is backed by numerous clinical studies, including a first-of-its-kind human clinical study demonstrating acute cognitive benefits from a single 1,000 mg dose, with significant results observed in as little as one hour post-ingestion. This 100% fruiting body extract is standardized to beta 1,3/1,6 glucans and further characterized by measurable hericenones and ergosterol, helping bring greater precision to Lion’s Mane quality and ingredient characterization.
Acute Benefits from MycoThrive™ Lion’s Mane include:
- Supports emotional well-being and contentment
- Supports attention, focus, and mental acuity
- Supports reaction time and mental processing speed
- Supports memory retention and working-memory performance
Read the results of the clinical study here!
Emerging chronic findings further expand the story. In a 45-day placebo-controlled study, MycoThrive™ Lion’s Mane was associated with a 16.9% increase in self-reported memory, a 16.1% increase in focus, and a 10.9% increase in mental clarity. Additional findings highlight a meaningful gut-brain axis connection, including an increase in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a keystone gut species involved in butyrate production. Butyrate is a postbiotic that helps connect the gut environment to the other body systems involved in focus, mood, and emotional well-being (read more).
Ingredient Details:
- Standardized to β-Glucans (1,3 / 1,6) (>20%)
- Further characterized by measurable hericenones and ergosterol
- Sensory: Earthy, Slightly Bitter, Chocolate, Umami
- USDA Certified Organic
Cordyceps
(Cordyceps Militaris)
Cordyceps has long been valued for supporting stamina, endurance, and natural energy without the use of stimulants. As demand grows for coffee alternatives, active nutrition products, and functional foods that deliver sustained performance benefits, cordyceps offers formulators a clean-label way to support energy at the cellular level.
MycoThrive™ Cordyceps is made from 100% fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris, using a proprietary vegan growth medium. This controlled growing process helps optimize the natural development of key fungal nutrients, while advanced extraction technology helps unlock the active compounds found within the mushroom’s tough cell walls. The result is a high-quality organic cordyceps extract designed for performance, endurance, and everyday vitality.
Benefits of MycoThrive™ Cordyceps Extract:
- Supports VO2 Max and oxygen utilization
- Promotes stimulant-free energy
- Supports stamina and endurance
- Helps support healthy immune function
Ingredient Details:
- Standardized to β-Glucans (1,3 / 1,6)
- Further characterized by measurable cordycepin and adenosine
- Sensory: Earthy, Toasted Marshmello, Umami
- 100% Vegan
Chaga
(Inonotus Obliquus)
Known as the “King of Mushrooms,” chaga is technically categorized as sclerotia, a dense, nutrient-rich mass of hardened mycelium, most commonly found on birch trees. MycoThrive™ Chaga extract comes from the world’s largest supply chain of sustainably sourced chaga deep within Finland’s natural birch forests. This ingredient is rich in polysaccharides and phenolic compounds, well known for promoting healthy aging and vitality.
Benefits of MycoThrive™ Organic Chaga Extract:
- Contains potent antioxidants
- Supports healthy aging
- Supports a balanced immune response
Ingredient Details:
- Standardized to β-Glucans (1,3 / 1,6)
- Further characterized by measurable inotodiol
- Sensory: Earthy, Bitter, Umami
- USDA Certified Organic
Regenerative Forestry Practices:
One of the most important criteria when sourcing chaga is ensuring it is wild-grown in a healthy environment. Finland has the cleanest air and most pure water in the world, making it the ideal location for chaga to thrive. It requires 8-10 years for chaga to reach maturity and develop its potency of beneficial nutrients absorbed from the birch tree itself. While the increasing demand has caused global concern for chaga over-harvesting, MycoThrive™ supports sustainable chaga cultivation and stewardship by working only with PEFC or FSC-certified forests, procuring the world’s largest sustainable supply chain of wild-grown chaga. By using MycoThrive™ Chaga in your products, you are supporting the industry and environment by preserving natural forestry and global chaga conservation efforts so that consumers can continue to benefit from this fungi for many years to come.
Reishi
(Ganoderma Lucidum)
The Reishi mushroom is well known to improve vitality and overall wellness and earned its historical moniker as “The Mushroom of Immortality” through millennia of use in traditional Eastern medicine. MycoThrive™ Reishi extract is a “super adaptogen” that can help manage stress, improve sleep quality, and maintain a balanced immune system.
Benefits of MycoThrive™ Reishi Extract:
- Supports stress, relaxation, and a balanced nervous system
- Improves quality of sleep
- Supports mood & emotional well-being
- Regulates healthy immune function
Ingredient Details:
- Standardized to β-Glucans (1,3 / 1,6)
- Further characterized by measurable ganoderic acids/lucidenic acids
- Sensory: Earthy
Maitake
(Grifola Frondosa)
Balance your wellness products with healthy immune support from maitake mushrooms. MycoThrive™ Maitake extract contains a variety of beneficial compounds, including polysaccharides called beta-glucans, proteins, dietary fiber, and other vitamins and minerals.
Benefits of MycoThrive™ Maitake Extract:
- Supports healthy immune function
- Antioxidant support
- Promotes gut health through dietary fiber
Ingredient Details:
- Standardized to β-Glucans (1,3 / 1,6)
- Identification: Positive
- Sensory: Earthy, Neutral, Umami
Shiitake
(Lentinula Edodes)
Shiitake mushrooms are widely used in wellness products, especially for supporting a healthy immune response. MycoThrive™ Shiitake contains various beneficial compounds, including polysaccharides called beta-glucans, antioxidants, proteins, dietary fiber, and other vitamins and minerals. MycoThrive™ Shiitake has a high yield potential, making this a highly sustainable product with optimal resource utilization, including water, nutrients, and space.
Benefits of MycoThrive™ Shiitake Extract:
- Supports healthy immune function
- Antioxidant support
- Promotes gut health through dietary fiber
Ingredient Details:
- Standardized to β-Glucans (1,3 / 1,6)
- Identification: Positive
- Sensory: Earthy, Neutral, Umami
What makes a MycoThrive™ Mushroom?
Advancing Research – AFS is committed to moving mushroom science forward. In addition to ongoing fungi research, AFS has published a validated UHPLC-UV method for measuring key Lion’s Mane marker compounds, including hericenones, hericenes, erinacines, and ergosterol, across both fruiting body and mycelium-derived materials. This work helps strengthen product characterization, batch-to-batch comparability, and quality control with a practical, QC-ready analytical tool. As we continue to explore secondary compounds of interest beyond beta-glucans, our goal is to help the mushroom community better understand functional efficacy, ingredient quality, and safe usage levels across multiple species.
Read our published analytical method here.
Standard of Purity – MycoThrive™ functional mushrooms are powdered extracts made using only the fruiting bodies, ensuring they are free from grain fillers and other natural or synthetic substrates. All MycoThrive™ mushrooms are third-party tested to validate the safety and purity of each varietal.
Stable and Scalable Supply Chain – AFS has partnered with some of the world’s leading mycologists to build a sustainable supply chain that prioritizes quality and scalability. From cultivation through extraction, our aim is to meet the growing demand for our functional mushrooms without compromising on quality.
Standardized Extracts – MycoThrive™ functional mushrooms are produced using an advanced dual-method water extraction process that integrates ultrasound-assisted hydro-extraction to release a broader spectrum of beneficial compounds. This approach helps maximize extract integrity, improve active compound yield, and deliver more functionally relevant mushroom extracts.
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Get Started with Functional Ingredients from AFS
Ready to experience the benefits of working with AFS ingredients in your products? Contact our team today to request samples, discuss formulation options, or place an order.
Applied Food Sciences is a supplier and wholesaler of functional ingredients for the natural products industry. AFS manufactures its specialty botanical extracts in bulk for use in food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements. Whether you are seeking extracts, powders, or concentrates, you can rest assured that, with over 20 years of experience, AFS can support your project needs.
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What are Beta Glucans and Other Active Compounds in Mushrooms?
While each MycoThrive™ mushroom species contains its own distinct set of active compounds, they all naturally provide beta 1,3/1,6 glucans, foundational fungal polysaccharides associated with immune-modulating benefits. At AFS, we recognize that beta-glucans are important, but they are only part of the story. Each mushroom also contains its own unique secondary compounds that help define its functional profile. That is why we standardize all MycoThrive™ extracts to beta 1,3/1,6 glucans, while continuing to advance research into the additional marker compounds that make each species distinct.
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