Many species of mushrooms are used in food production: bread, alcohol, and cheese. Some of them, such as brushes and aspergillus, contribute to its decomposition.
They are also used to produce medicines, mainly antibiotics (in the mid-20th century, 96 antibiotics of fungal origin were already known), organic compounds (citric acid), and enzymes on an industrial scale.
Edible mushrooms have culinary uses. For centuries, attempts have been made to introduce mushroom farming for industrial purposes. This was only achieved in 12 species. Their main source is still wild mushrooms.
