Bioactive compounds in Hericium erinaceus and their biological properties:a review

Hericium erinaceus is a nutritious edible and medicinal fungi,rich in a variety of functional active ingredients,with various physiological functions such as antioxidation,anticancer,and enhancing immunity.It is also effective in protecting the digestive system and preventing neurodegenerative diseases.In this review paper,we summarize the sources,structures and efficacies of the main active components in H.erinaceus fruiting body,mycelium,and culture media,and update the latest research progress on their biological activities and the related molecular mechanisms.Based on this information,we provide detailed challenges in current research,industrialization and information on the active ingredients of H.erinaceus.Perspectives for future studies and new applications of H.erinaceus are proposed.

Effect of Mushroom Extract Hericium erinaceus on Spatial Memory and Morphology of Neurons in the CA1 and CA3 Regions of the Hippocampus in Ovariectomized Rats

Various studies indicate that low levels of estradiol negatively impact cognitive abilities. Extracts from the fungus Hericium erinaceus (HE) contain bioactive components that promote the proper functioning of the nervous system and potential effects on protection against neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia and motor dysfunctions. The objective was to evaluate the effects of the administration of the HE mushroom extract on visuospatial memory and morphology of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus in ovariectomized rats. 40 young Wistar rats weighing 90 ± 10 g BW were used, which were distributed into four groups of 10 animals;Control Group, non-ovariectomized and untreated rats;Group E2, ovariectomized rats treated with estradiol (2 μg/kg/body weight);Group HE, ovariectomized rats treated with the extract of the fungus Hericium erinaceus (0.5 mg/kg body weight) and Group Ovx/ST, ovariectomized rats, without treatment. The animals were tested in the Barnes and Open Field maze, then they were sacrificed, and their brains were obtained to perform a histological analysis of neuronal morphology in the CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus. The most outstanding results showed that the Ovx/ST group recorded the longest time to arrive at the escape box and stay in the Barnes maze. A correlation was observed between neuronal damage and function;in the groups that did not present satisfactory performance in the maze tests, morphological alterations were identified such as the presence of some neuronal somata with degeneration characteristics such as pyknosis, nuclear basophilia and shrinkage of the cells. Its soma, as well as a decrease in the nuclear area of CA1 and CA3 neurons. It is concluded that the fungus Hericium erinaceus exerted a neuroprotective effect on the neuronal bodies of the hippocampus, associated with better performance in the visuospatial recognition memory test.

Quantitative estimation of enzymatic released specific oligosaccharides from Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides using CE-LIF

Polysaccharides exhibit multiple pharmacological activities which are closely related to their structural features.Therefore,quantitatively quality control of polysaccharides based on their chemical charac-teristics is important for their application in biomedical and functional food sciences.However,poly-saccharides are mixed macromolecular compounds that are difficult to isolate and lack standards,making them challenging to quantify directly.In this study,we proposed an improved saccharide mapping method based on the release of specific oligosaccharides for the assessment of Hericium eri-naceus polysaccharides from laboratory cultured and different regions of China.Briefly,a polysaccharide from H.erinaceus was digested by b-(1-3)-glucanase,and the released specific oligosaccharides were labeled with 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic-acid(APTS)and separated by using micellar electrokinetic chromatography(MEKC)coupled with laser induced fluorescence(LIF),and quantitatively estimated.MEKC presented higher resolution compared to polysaccharide analysis using carbohydrate gel elec-trophoresis(PACE),and provided great peak capacity between oligosaccharides with polymerization degree of 2(DP2)and polymerization degree of 6(DP6)in a dextran ladder separation.The results of high performance size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering and refractive index detector(HPSEC-MALLS-RI)showed that 12 h was sufficient for complete digestion of polysaccharides from H.erinaceus.Laminaritriose(DP3)was used as an internal standard for quantifi-cation of all the oligosaccharides.The calibration curve for DP3 showed a good linear regression(R2>0.9988).The limit of detection(LOD)and limit of quantification(LOQ)values were 0.05 mg/mL and 0.2 mg/mL,respectively.The recovery for DP3 was 87.32(±0.03)%in the three independent injections.To sum up,this proposed method is helpful for improving the quality control of polysaccharides from H.erinaceus as well as other materials.

Hericium erinaceus,a medicinal fungus with a centuries-old history:Evidence in gastrointestinal diseases

Hericium erinaceus is an edible and medicinal mushroom commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.Several studies have highlighted its therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal disorders such as gastritis and inflammatory bowel diseases.In addition,some components of this mushroom appear to possess strong antineoplastic capabilities against gastric and colorectal cancer.This review aims to analyse all available evidence on the digestive therapeutic potential of this fungus as well as the possible underlying molecular mechanisms.

Antioxidant and Moisture-preserving Activities of Polysaccharides Obtained from Hericium erinaceus

[Objectives]The paper was to determine the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of three polysaccharide fractions(HP1,HP2 and HP3)obtained by ethanol precipitation from cold water,hot water and hot aqueous NaOH extracts of the fruiting body of Hericium erinaceus.[Methods]The chemical components,antioxidant and moisture-preserving activities of the three polysaccharides were determined.[Results]All the three polysaccharide extracts showed similar physicochemical characteristics and FT-IR spectra.HP1,which had the highest sugar content and lowest molecular weight,exhibited the best antioxidant activities against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals.HP3 exhibited the greatest ability to absorb and retain moisture.[Conclusions]These data demonstrate the potential utility of polysaccharides extracted form H.erinaceus in the cosmetics,food and pharmaceutical industries.

Anti-hyperglycemic property of Hericium erinaceus --A mini review

Hericium erinaceus(H. erinaceus) is one of the widely used edible mushrooms around the world, primarily in Asian countries. H. erinaceus is used in traditional medicines, and mushroom based foods. The fruiting body and mycelia of H. erinaceus are extracted using the solvents, and several bioactive compounds were identified. Several studies have reported that those bioactive compounds exhibit many health benefits such as hemagglutinating, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-aging activities, etc. This manuscript consciously updated the information about the composition of H. erinaceus, H. erinaceus based foods, and anti-hyperglycemic property of H. erinaceus.

Regulatory effect of salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate supplementation on ergosterol production in Hericium erinaceus mycelia

We evaluated the biomass and ergosterol content of Hericium erinaceus mycelium, and extracellular enzyme activities in H. erinaceus liquid culture following salicylic acid（SA） and methyl jasmonic acid（Me JA）supplementation. The optimal SA concentration was100 lmoláL-1, where the highest ergosterol content of 2.33 mgág-1was obtained following 6-day cultivation with100 lmoláL-1SA supplementation, and which was significantly higher than the unsupplemented control（p ／ 0.01）. Following 4-day supplementation with50 lmoláL-1Me JA, the highest ergosterol content obtained was 1.988 mgág-1, which was 25.8 % higher than the unsupplemented control. Our data indicate that SA and Me JA supplementation improves ergosterol content in H.erinaceus mycelium.

Systems Pharmacological Approach to Investigate the Mechanism of Hericium erinaceus for Alzheimer’s Disease

Objective To confirm evidence regarding the potential therapeutic effect of Hericium erinaceus(H.erinaceus,Hou Tou Gu,猴头菇) on Alzheimer’s disease(AD) using a system pharmacological approach in silico.Methods The active compounds of H.erinaceus were screened from the TCMDatabase@Taiwan,PubMed,and Pubchem.The predicted targets of H.erinaceus were selected by using the Similarity Ensemble Approach Database and the DisGeNET database was used to screen the targets related to AD.The compound-target-AD network was built.GO analysis and Pathway enrichment analysis were used for bioinformatics analysis.Results A total of 21 kinds of H.erinaceus active compounds were screened by network pharmacology,showing 451 predicted targets of active compounds.Among them,165 targets were associated with AD,and the compounds in H.erinaceus were highly connected to AD-related signaling pathways and biological processes,such as cholinergic synaptic transmission,inflammation-related pathways and neurotrophin signaling pathway.Conclusions Our results indicate that compounds in H.erinaceus interact with multiple targets in a synergetic way and the anti-inflammatory,anti-apoptosis and synaptic transmission enhancing effects of H.erinaceus might contribute to its major therapeutic effects on Alzheimer’s disease.

Hericium Erinaceus (Bull.:Fr.) Pers.,A Medicinal Mushroom,Activates Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

Objective： To study the ability of aqueous extract of Hericium erinaceus mushroom in the treatment of nerve injury following peroneal nerve crush in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods： Aqueous extract of Hericium erinaceus was given by daily oral administration following peroneal nerve crush injury in Sprague- Dawley rats. The expression of protein kinase B （Akt） and mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathways; and c-Jun and c-Fos genes were studied in dorsal root ganglia （DRG） whereas the activity of protein synthesis was assessed in peroneal nerves by immunohistochemical method. Results： Peripheral nerve injury leads to changes at the axonal site of injury and remotely located DRG containing cell bodies of sensory afferent neurons. Immunofluorescence studies showed that DRG neurons ipsilateral to the crush injury in rats of treated groups expressed higher immunoreactivities for Ak＇t, MAPK, c-Jun and c-Fos as compared with negative control group （P〈0.05）. The intensity of nuclear ribonucleoprotein in the distal segments of crushed nerves of treated groups was significantly higher than in the negative control group （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： H. erinaceus is capable of promoting peripheral nerve regeneration after injury. Potential signaling pathways include Akt, MAPK, c-Jun, and c-Fos, and protein synthesis have been shown to be involved in its action.

Bioactivities and molecular mechanisms of polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus

Hericium erinaceus,an edible and medicinal mushroom,has been utilized since ancient China due to its delicious taste and health benefits.The polysaccharide from H.erinaceus(HEP)is supposed to be one of the major bioactive compounds,which garnered widespread attention in seeking innovative applications for precision nutrition.Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that HEP possesses antioxidant and anti-aging,gastrointestinal protecting,anti-tumor,hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic,immune-enhancing,neuroprotective,and hepatoprotective activities,verifying its functional benefits to human health.This review provides an overview of the extraction and structure of HEP,and concluded that HEP had different structures with different sources of H.erinaceus and extraction methods.Besides,the biochemical and pharmacological properties of HEP as well as the relative mechanism were highlighted and summarized on the basis of in vivo and in vitro studies,which could be helpful for the healthy application of HEP.Finally,the research prospects of HEP for specific populations or precision nutrition were proposed.

Effect of high quality dietary fiber of Hericium erinaceus on lowering blood lipid in hyperlipidemia mice

The purpose of this work is to describe the structure and hypoglycaemic activity of high-quality Hericium erinaceus dietary fiber(HQ-HDF),and compared with the H.erinaceus dietary fiber(HDF).Scanning electron microscopy and particle size distribution showed that the ultrasonic-microwave assisted enzymatic method significantly changed the surface structure of HQ-HDF and reduced the particle size.The results of high-performance gel chromatography showed that the ultrasonic-microwave assisted enzymatic method made the macromolecular components degrade into small molecular components.HQ-HDF has significantly improved hyperlipidemic activity in vitro.The results showed that HQ-HDF has blood lipid-lowering.The levels of total cholesterol,triglycerides,low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein in serum of high-fat mice in medium and high dose group were significantly increased.High dose of HQ-HDF significantly decreased the activities of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase,increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase.High dose of HQ-HDF could decreased the content of malonaldehyde.In addition,histopathological observation of mice liver showed that HQ-HDF could improve the lipid metabolism disorder of liver cells.

Effects of Hericium erinaceus polypeptide on lowering blood lipids of mice with hyperlipidemia induced by a high-fat diet

Hericium erinaceus polypeptide(HEP)was prepared by an ultrasound-microwave assisted enzymatic method.Using an ultrafiltration membrane with molecular weights of 5 and 10 kDa,HEP was fractionated into three fractions,namely,(HEP-I(<5 kDa),HEP-II(5–10 kDa),and HEP-III(>10 kDa)).In vitro chemical methods were used to compare the antioxidant and hypolipidemic abilities of the polypeptide fractions from H.erinaceus before and after simulated gastrointestinal digestion.By constructing a hyperlipidemia model,the hypolipidemic ability of the high active fraction(HEP-II)was verified.The results showed that the antioxidant and hypolipidemic abilities of the polypeptide fractions from H.erinaceus did not change dramatically during simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro.The polypeptide fractions from H.erinaceus exhibited high tolerance to simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro,with strong antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities.HEP-II with a molecular weight of 5–10 kDa had the best stability,antioxidant,and hypolipidemic abilities in gastrointestinal digestion.The secondary structure of HEP-II was mainly composed of random coil(18.36%)andα-helix(47.71%)structures,which was beneficial to the hypolipidemic ability of HEP-II.Animal experiments showed that compared to the high-fat model group,HEP-II could inhibit the weight gain of the mice,decrease the liver index and serum levels of the serum total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),nitric oxide synthase(NOS),alanine aminotransferase(AST),and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(ALT),increase the levels of glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),decrease the arteriosclerosis index(AI),and improve the hemorheological indices of the mice.In addition,the whole blood and plasma viscosities of the mice decreased,and HEP-II increased the level of superoxide dismutase(SOD)in the liver,reducing the level of malondialdehyde(MDA),and the degree of oxidative stress in the liver of hypolipidemia mice.Furthermore,HEP-II improved liver steatosis.These results indicated that the polypeptide fractions from H.erinaceus all had a potential hypolipidemic effect,and HEP-II had the strongest potential hypolipidemic effect.