Hericium erinaceus Improves Recognition Memory and Induces Hippocampal and Cerebellar Neurogenesis in Frail Mice during Aging

Abstract

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with both locomotor and cognitive decline, implicated in both poor quality of life and negative health outcomes. One central question surrounding frailty is whether phenotypic frailty is associated with the cognitive impairment during aging. Using spontaneous behavioral tests and by studying the dynamic change during aging, we demonstrated that the two form of vulnerability, locomotor and recognition memory decline, develop in parallel and therefore, integration of the motoric and cognitive evaluations are imperative. We developed an integrated frailty index based on both phenotypic and recognition memory performances. Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus) is a medicinal mushroom that improves recognition memory in mice. By using HPLC-UV-ESI/MS analyses we obtained standardized amounts of erinacine A and hericenones C and D in H. erinaceus extracts, that were tested in our animal model of physiological aging. Two-month oral supplementation with H. erinaceus reversed the age-decline of recognition memory. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and doublecortin (DCX) immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus and cerebellum in treated mice supported a positive effect of an H. erinaceus on neurogenesis in frail mice.

Erinacine C Activates Transcription from a Consensus ETS DNA Binding Site in Astrocytic Cells in Addition to NGF Induction

“…In the past years, extracts and isolated secondary metabolites from mycelial cultures and basidiomes of the edible mushroom Hericium erinaceus have attracted much attention in the field of chemical biology and pharmacology, because of their broad activity spectrum in supporting the maintenance and restoration of health as well as in counteracting acute and chronic pathogenic disease processes [ 1 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 22 ]. In particular for the central nervous system, this medicinal activity is ascribed to the potential of selected cyathane diterpenoids named erinacines to induce the expression of neurotrophins.…”

“…Despite inducing neurotrophin expression, it has also been reported that erinacine C exerts anti-neuroinflammatory activity by altering transcription processes in microglia [ 8 ]. In addition, erinacines and other compounds from Hericium erinaceus have been shown to act as antidepressants [ 9 ], to counteract neurodegeneration [ 10 , 11 ], and to promote neurogenesis [ 12 , 13 ]. These many activities of erinacine C suggest that this compound affects transcriptional processes of prominent signal transduction pathways in astrocytic cells beyond neurotrophin induction.…”

Online Survey for Patient Outcomes on Hericium Erinaceous Mushroom

“…5 Another recent Italian study in 2019 on mice reported that two-month of oral intake of H.erinaceous reversed the decline of age and restore cognition memory, which means this mushroom could have neurogenesis effect. 6 In line with a vitro study conducted in Malaysia showed that Lion's Mane mushrooms contain neurotrophic factors (hericenones and erinacines) which might induce nerve growth factors essential for the maintenance of optimum neural body structure to operate. In summary, the full study showed that Lion's Mane mushroom had neurotrophic (meaning growth of neuron tissue) but no neuroprotective effects.…”

Hericerin derivatives from Hericium erinaceus exert BDNF-like neurotrophic activity in central hippocampal neurons and enhance memory

“…Several compounds extracted from H. erinaceus have been shown to protect from ageing-dependent cognitive decline in wildtype (Brandalise et al 2017;Rossi et al 2018) and in Alzheimer's disease mouse models (Tsai-Teng et al 2016;Mori et al 2011) suggesting a yet to be defined activity on the CNS. A recent study has determined that erinacine A and hericenones C and D were capable of slowing cognitive declines in a model of frailty (Ratto et al 2019). The neuroprotective effects were attributed to the ability of these molecules to elicit NGF (Mori et al 2009) and BDNF synthesis (Chiu et al 2018).…”