Résumé
Macrofungi are indispensable to human societies, not only as a source of nutrition and medicine, but also as vital economic assets. Despite their significance, ethnomycological research has lagged, leading to inconsistencies in the documentation and use of medicinal fungi. This gap is pronounced in Central Asia, a region rich in biodiversity where medicinal Hymenochaetoid fungi represent a valuable but understudied resource. This research is expected to provide a detailed overview of beneficial hymenochetoid macrofungi in Central Asia, on their traditional uses and their potential in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. The review identified 43 Hymenochaetoid species across 18 genera. The genera with the largest number of species are Fomitiporia, Fulvifomes, Fuscoporia, Inocutis, Inonotus, Phellinus, and Phylloporia, totaling 29 species. The distribution of medicinal Hymenochaetoid macrofungi shows Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with 30 and 29 species, respectively. Kyrgyzstan has 19 species, indicating moderate diversity; Turkmenistan and Tajikistan have 11 and 10 species, respectively. Hymenochaetoid fungi were found on 125 host plant species from 42 genera and 25 families, with Rosaceae and Salicaceae being the most common host families. 33 out of 43 species were studied for bioactive compounds mainly phenolics, terpenoids, and polysaccharides, demonstrating antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antitumor activities, among others. From the 43 species, F. punctata, F. torulosa, I. hispidus, I. obliquus, P. igniarius, P. pomaceus, P. pini, S. lonicerinus, and T. linteus are reported in traditional medicine for therapeutic applications as cancer and diabetes highlighting the ethnomedicinal significance of these Hymenochaetoid fungi in Central Asia. However, challenges remain to fully understand and exploit the therapeutic potential of mycomedicine. This requires further scientific research, conservation of fungal biodiversity, preservation of traditional knowledge, and integration of traditional practices into modern healthcare systems. Despite these promising uses, further research is essential to fully understand their therapeutic potential and integrate traditional knowledge with modern healthcare practices.