Toxic mushrooms may hold secrets to tackling deadly diseases as researchers have discovered that the fungi could help in the production of medicines capable of curing disease without the patient suffering any side effects.

The researchers discovered in mushrooms an enzyme called POPB that create the mushroom's molecules that harbour missile-like proficiency in attacking and annihilating a single vulnerable target in the human liver.

These findings could lead to single-minded medicines with zero side effects, said co-lead author Jonathan Walton, professor of plant biology at the Michigan State University in the US.

The team revealed how the enzyme contributes to the manufacture of chemical compounds known as cyclic peptides, a favourite molecule that pharmaceutical companies use to create new drugs.

"Mushrooms are prolific chemical factories, yet only a few of their peptides are poisonous," he added.

"These toxins survive the high temperatures of cooking and the acids of digestion, and yet they are readily absorbed by the bloodstream and go directly to their intended target. These are the exact qualities needed for an effective medicine," Walton said.

The enzyme POPB convert the toxins from their initial linear shape into cyclic peptides, fortress-like molecular circles comprising eight amino acids.

Harnessing the distinct properties of POPB will allow scientist to create billions of variant molecules, which can be tested against many different medical targets such as pathogenic bacteria and cancer, the researchers said.

For the study, the scientists worked with the mushroom species Amanita.

The study appeared in the journal Chemistry and Biology.

Consuming a Mediterranean diet can lead to a longer, healthier life, says a new study.

According to the scientists, the combination of fruit and vegetables, nuts, legumes, olive oil and a glass of wine can help reverse the ageing process by slowing down the damage to chromosomes linked to ageing, and offer a health advantage, staving off killer diseases, the Daily Express reported.

The study analysed data on 4,676 healthy middle-aged women, and found that Mediterranean diet had anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, that stops the shortening of telomeres, which is associated with lower life expectancy and a greater risk of age-related diseases.

However, none of the individual dietary components was associated with telomere length.

The diet has a host of health benefits, including slashing the risk of death and chronic diseases from heart conditions and Alzheimer's to cancer and diabetes, and Gaynor Bussell, a dietitian and public health nutritionist, said the research showed that there were no "superfoods" and maybe not even foods that were good or bad.

The findings are published in the British Medical Journal.

Linolenic acid, a component of vegetable oils, is key to destroying the bacteria strongly associated with gastric ulcers and cancer, a new study says.

The findings could lead to new treatment for gastric diseases.

"Current Helicobacter pylori bacterium treatments are facing a major challenge - antibiotic resistance," said Liangfang Zhang, professor at the University of California` San Diego School of Medicine.

"Our goal was to develop a nanotherapeutic that can tolerate the harsh gastric environment, kill H. pylori and avoid resistance," Zhang added.

To combat the infection caused by Helicobacter pylori the researchers developed LipoLLA, a therapeutic nanoparticle that contains the vegetable oil component linolenic acid.

In mice, LipoLLA was safe and more effective against the infection than standard antibiotic treatments.

What is more, LipoLLA was not toxic to the mice and the bacteria did not develop resistance to the therapy.

"This is the first step to verify that we can make this therapeutic nanoparticle and demonstrate that it works to reduce H. pylori colonisation. We are now working to further enhance the particle, making it more stable and more effective," Zhang said.

The findings appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.