Fruiting Body vs Mycelium: What to Look for in a Mushroom Extract

When you compare mushroom extracts, the key distinction on the label is whether the product is made from the fruiting body (the visible mushroom) or the mycelium (the fungal thread network, often grown on grain). The two are different parts of the same organism, they have different compositions, and they are measured in different ways. This guide explains those terms, along with dual extraction, the 10:1 ratio, and beta-glucans, so you can read a mushroom extract label with confidence.

Fruiting body vs mycelium: what's the difference?

A fungus has two main parts. The mycelium is the underground network of fine threads that acts as the organism's root-like system. The fruiting body is the part most people picture as "the mushroom" — the reproductive structure that grows above the surface. Both are genuine parts of the fungus, but they are grown, harvested and analysed differently.

In commercial supplements, mycelium is usually cultivated indoors on a grain substrate (commonly rice or oats). Because the mycelium grows through and binds to that grain, the harvested material typically includes a portion of the grain itself. This is often labelled mycelium-on-grain or mycelialised grain. Fruiting-body products, by contrast, are made from the harvested mushrooms.

Feature	Fruiting body	Mycelium-on-grain
Part of the fungus	The visible mushroom (reproductive structure)	The thread-like network, grown on grain
How it's grown	Cultivated or wild-harvested mushrooms	Cultivated indoors on a grain substrate
Residual grain / starch	None	Often present in the finished powder
Typical beta-glucan level	Higher, and easier to verify by testing	Lower, as the grain dilutes the fungal content
On the label, look for	"Fruiting body" and an extract ratio	"Mycelium," "mycelial biomass," or "myceliated grain"

Neither is inherently "fake," but they are not interchangeable. Independent analyses — including a 2020 study in the Journal of Fungi — have reported that fruiting bodies generally contain a higher proportion of beta-glucans than mycelium-on-grain material, largely because the grain substrate adds starch and dilutes the fungal fraction. That is why the wording on a label matters when you are comparing products.

What are beta-glucans and polysaccharides?

Polysaccharides are large carbohydrate molecules made of many sugar units linked together. They are one of the most-discussed components of mushrooms, and much of the current scientific interest in fungi centres on this group of compounds. Importantly, "polysaccharides" is a broad category: starch from grain is also a polysaccharide.

Beta-glucans are a specific type of polysaccharide found in the cell walls of mushrooms. Because beta-glucans come from the fungus rather than from grain, they are frequently used as a marker of how much genuine mushroom material an extract contains. This is the practical reason to be cautious with a label that advertises a high "polysaccharide" percentage without stating the beta-glucan figure: a large polysaccharide number can reflect residual starch rather than fungal content. A stated beta-glucan percentage, verified by testing, is the more informative number.

What does "dual extraction" mean?

Different compounds in a mushroom dissolve in different solvents, so a single extraction method captures only part of what the fungus contains. Dual extraction (sometimes called double extraction) uses two stages to draw out a broader range of components:

• Hot-water extraction draws out water-soluble compounds, including beta-glucans and other polysaccharides.
• Alcohol extraction draws out compounds that don't dissolve well in water, such as triterpenes (a group of compounds particularly associated with mushrooms like reishi and chaga).

The two liquids are then combined and concentrated. A water-only extract will not carry the alcohol-soluble fraction, and an alcohol-only tincture will not carry the full water-soluble fraction — which is why dual extraction is often described as capturing a fuller spectrum of a mushroom's compounds. Not every mushroom is traditionally prepared this way, but for triterpene-rich species it is a common approach.

What does a 10:1 extract ratio mean?

An extract ratio such as 10:1 tells you how concentrated the extract is. A 10:1 ratio means that roughly ten kilograms of raw mushroom were used to produce one kilogram of finished extract. In practical terms, one gram of a 10:1 extract is derived from about ten grams of the starting mushroom.

A higher ratio indicates a more concentrated extract, but the ratio alone doesn't tell the whole story — the starting material (fruiting body vs mycelium-on-grain) and the verified beta-glucan content matter just as much. A concentrated extract of grain-heavy mycelium is still concentrating a grain-diluted starting material. Read the ratio alongside the source and the beta-glucan figure, not on its own.

How to read a mushroom extract label

Putting it together, here is a practical checklist when comparing two products:

• Source: Does it say fruiting body, or mycelium / myceliated grain?
• Extract ratio: Is a ratio such as 10:1 stated, and is it clear whether it refers to the fruiting body?
• Beta-glucans: Is a specific beta-glucan percentage given, ideally distinct from a broader "polysaccharide" figure?
• Extraction method: Is it single (water only) or dual (water and alcohol)?
• Species: Is the Latin name given (for example Hericium erinaceus for lion's mane)?

Where Pure Fungi sits

Pure Fungi's extracts are made from the mushroom fruiting body and are dual-extracted (hot water and alcohol) at a 10:1 concentration, with organic certification. You can read more about how and why we make our extracts this way on our About page. To see how the label details described above appear on specific products, browse our Organic Lion's Mane Extract Powder or Organic Reishi Extract Capsules, or explore the full range of mushroom extracts.

FAQ

Is fruiting body always better than mycelium?

They are different parts of the fungus rather than better or worse in every case. The practical point for buyers is transparency: fruiting-body content is easier to verify by beta-glucan testing, whereas mycelium grown on grain includes grain in the finished powder, which dilutes the fungal fraction. Check what the label actually states.

What does 10:1 mean on a mushroom extract?

It's an extract ratio. A 10:1 extract uses about ten parts of raw mushroom to make one part of finished extract, so it is more concentrated than the raw material. Read it alongside the source (fruiting body vs mycelium) and the beta-glucan figure.

Why does dual extraction matter?

Some mushroom compounds dissolve in water and others in alcohol. Dual extraction uses both hot water and alcohol so the finished extract carries a broader range of the mushroom's water-soluble and alcohol-soluble components than a single-solvent method would.

What's the difference between polysaccharides and beta-glucans?

Beta-glucans are a specific type of polysaccharide found in fungal cell walls. "Polysaccharides" is a broader category that can also include starch from grain, so a stated beta-glucan percentage is a more precise indicator of genuine mushroom content than a general polysaccharide figure.

How can I tell what a product is actually made from?

Look for the source (fruiting body or mycelium), the Latin species name, an extract ratio such as 10:1, and a specific beta-glucan percentage. If a label omits these and shows only a large "polysaccharide" number or a milligram figure, it may be harder to compare against products that disclose them.