Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 2015-08-05
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Summary
This research review examines Lion’s Mane mushroom, a traditional Asian medicinal fungus with remarkable health benefits. The mushroom contains numerous beneficial compounds that can protect the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys while fighting inflammation and boosting immunity. Impact on everyday life:
– May help improve memory and cognitive function as we age
– Could provide natural support for anxiety and depression
– Offers potential protection against common chronic diseases
– Provides a natural way to boost immune system function
– Can be easily incorporated into diet as a food supplement or ingredient
Background
Hericium erinaceus is a culinary and medicinal mushroom widely consumed in Asian countries but less common in the United States, despite its reported nutritional and health benefits. This review aims to consolidate the scattered literature on its chemistry, nutritional composition, and health-promoting properties to stimulate broader interest in its beneficial properties.
Objective
To survey and consolidate the widely scattered literature on the chemistry, isolation and structural characterization of polysaccharides and secondary metabolites, nutritional composition, food and industrial uses, and health-promoting aspects of H. erinaceus.
Results
The review identified approximately 70 characterized bioactive secondary metabolites including erinacines, hericerins, hericenones, resorcinols, steroids, mono- and diterpenes, and volatile aroma compounds. The mushroom demonstrated multiple health-promoting properties including antibiotic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antifatigue, antihypertensive, antihyperlipodemic, antisenescence, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective effects. It also showed benefits for anxiety, cognitive function, and depression through anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and immunostimulating mechanisms.
Conclusion
The collated information reveals H. erinaceus as a rich source of bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential. The mushroom’s whole form and isolated compounds show promise for preventing or treating human chronic, cognitive, and neurological diseases. Further research is recommended to optimize the use of both the whole mushroom and its characterized bioactive metabolites.
- Published in:Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
- Study Type:Review,
- Source: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914