Views: 14 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-08-01 Origin: Site
1. Research Background and Value
With scientific advancements and shifting consumer preferences toward safer and more sustainable health solutions, there is growing interest in natural products with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Hericium erinaceus (lion's mane mushroom), as a traditional medicinal fungus, has become a research hotspot due to its unique neuroprotective properties. Compared to other medicinal mushrooms, Hericium erinaceus exhibits significant advantages in promoting nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, giving it distinctive value in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
2. Key Active Components and Mechanisms of Action
Lion's mane mushroom is renowned for its diverse and bioactive chemical composition, which confers broad health benefits. Its primary bioactive compounds include polysaccharides, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, and functional proteins, each playing crucial roles in its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Among these, the most valuable components are β-glucans (accounting for 30–40% of dry weight), hericenones (50–150 μg/g), and ergothioneine (0.34–1.30 mg/g).
These compounds exert their effects through multi-target mechanisms:
Neuroprotection：
Hericenones can cross the blood-brain barrier, activating TrkA receptors to increase NGF expression by 2–3 times while inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels by up to 40%.
Gut-Brain Axis Modulation：
β-glucans act as prebiotics, increasing beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium by over 30% and improving intestinal barrier function.
Antimicrobial Activity:
Demonstrated a 65% inhibition rate against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and synergistic effects with conventional antibiotics.
3. Clinical Evidence
Multiple clinical studies have validated the health benefits of Hericium erinaceus:
In patients with mild cognitive impairment, a 16-week intervention significantly improved cognitive scores by 4.2 points (*p* < 0.05).
As an adjunct therapy for depression, symptom improvement reached 63%.
In chronic kidney disease models, it significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels.
4. Safety Profile
Currently, Hericium erinaceus is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for consumption as a food and is primarily marketed as a dietary supplement rather than a pharmaceutical product.
5. Conclusion
As a dual-purpose resource for both food and medicine, Hericium erinaceus offers a natural solution to modern health challenges through its unique bioactivity and multi-target mechanisms. Addressing key issues such as standardization, delivery technologies, and clinical validation through interdisciplinary collaboration will advance its transition from traditional applications to modern healthcare products.
References
[1] Allegra, M. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of plants extract. Antioxidants 2019, 8, 549.
[2] Juszczyk, G.; Mikulska, J.; Kasperek, K.; Pietrzak, D.; Mrozek, W.; Herbet, M. Chronic stress and oxidative stress as common factors of the pathogenesis of depression and Alzheimer’s disease: The role of antioxidants in prevention and treatment. Antioxidants 2021, 10, 1439.
[3] Hetland, G.; Tangen, J.M.; Mahmood, F.; Mirlashari, M.R.; Nissen-Meyer, L.S.H.; Nentwich, I.; Therkelsen, S.P.; Tjønnfjord, G.E.; Johnson, E. Antitumor, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effects of Agaricus blazei mushroom extract and the related medicinal basidiomycetes mushrooms, Hericium erinaceus and Grifola frondosa: A review of preclinical and clinical studies. Nutrients 2020, 12, 1339.