Hericium erinaceus Improves Mood and Sleep Disorders in Patients Affected by Overweight or Obesity: Could Circulating Pro-BDNF and BDNF Be Potential Biomarkers?

Abstract

Epidemiological data indicate that subjects affected by obesity have an increased risk of developing mood disorders. The relationship between obesity and mood disorders is bidirectional. We assessed whether a Hericium erinaceus treatment improved depression, anxiety, sleep, and binge eating disorders after 8 weeks of supplementation in subjects affected by overweight or obesity under a low calorie diet regimen. Looking for a possible clinical biomarker, we assessed the serum balance between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its precursor pro-BDNF before and after H. erinaceus supplementation. Seventy-seven volunteers affected by overweight or obesity were recruited at the offices of the Department of Preventive Medicine, Luigi Devoto Clinic of Work, Obesity Centre, at the IRCCS Foundation Policlinico Hospital of Milan (Italy). Patients were recruited only if they had a mood and/or sleep disorder and/or were binge eating as evaluated through self-assessment questionnaires. We used two different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays kits to discriminate circulating levels of pro-BDNF and BDNF. Eight weeks of oral H. erinaceus supplementation decreased depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. H. erinaceus supplementation improved mood disorders of a depressive-anxious nature and the quality of the nocturnal rest. H. erinaceus increased circulating pro-BDNF levels without any significant change in BDNF circulating levels.

Potential Antidepressant Effects of Scutellaria baicalensis, Hericium erinaceus and Rhodiola rosea

“…Based on toxicological and clinical studies, S. baicalensis, H. erinaceus and R. rosea are generally considered to be safe and well tolerated [40,[52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63]. In experimental studies, the estimated median lethal dose (LD 50 ) of some compounds varies according to the extraction method and administration route [54].…”

Therapeutic Potential of Hericium erinaceus for Depressive Disorder

“…Recently, a clinical study examined the effects of H. erinaceus on anxiety, depression, binge eating, and sleep disorders in 77 volunteers with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m 2 and an average age of 53.2 [80]. The study recruited overweight or obese participants positive for one or more administered tests, including Zung's Depression Self-Assessment Scale, Zung's Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale, Symptom Checklist-90, and the binge eating scale (BES).…”

“…The restoration effect of H. erinaceus on BDNF was suggested to be through monoaminergic modulation and normalization, as BDNF can be influenced by monoaminergic transmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine [99]. A recent clinical study on patients with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder examined the beneficial effects of 8 weeks of oral administration of capsules containing H. erinaceus extract (1200 mg/capsule, 3 capsules/day) [80]. They reported that pro-BDNF levels in the blood serum increased after 4 weeks of H. erinaceus administration, but there were no significant changes in serum BDNF levels.…”

“…Future studies on the antidepressant activity of these bioactive compounds need to examine their effects on the expression of BDNF. Although BDNF was found to be restored in the hippocampus after chronic administration of H. erinaceus, it is still unclear whether the increase is also reflected in peripheral BDNF expressions [80]. The investigation of the effects on peripheral BDNF expression may provide important information for future clinical studies of depression.…”

“…The investigation of the effects on peripheral BDNF expression may provide important information for future clinical studies of depression. Moreover, as chronic administration of H. erinaceus was found to increase peripheral pro-BDNF but not BDNF [80], it would be interesting to examine the association of neurotrophic isoforms with depressive-like behaviors and whether H. erinaceus also affects their expression. In addition, as H. erinaceus was shown to stimulate monoaminergic modulation, it would be interesting to examine if the bioactive compounds of H. erinaceus act as agonists or inhibitors of monoamine neurotransmitter receptors.…”