Researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered the active compound from Hericium erinaceus – otherwise known as Lion’s mane – that boosts nerve growth and enhances memory.
Through pre-clinical trials, the team has found that lion’s mane mushrooms improve brain cell growth and memory.
Professor Frederic Meunier from the Queensland Brain Institute said the team had identified new active compounds from the mushroom: “Extracts from these so-called ‘lion’s mane’ mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine in Asian countries for centuries, but we wanted to scientifically determine their potential effect on brain cells.
“Pre-clinical testing found the lion’s mane mushroom had a significant impact on the growth of brain cells and improving memory.
“Laboratory tests measured the neurotrophic effects of compounds isolated from Hericium erinaceus on cultured brain cells, and surprisingly we found that the active compounds promote neuron projections, extending and connecting to other neurons.
“Using super-resolution microscopy, we found the mushroom extract and its active components largely increase the size of growth cones, which are particularly important for brain cells to sense their environment and establish new connections with other neurons in the brain.”
Co-author, UQ’s Dr Ramon Martinez-Marmol said the discovery, published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, had applications that could treat and protect against neurodegenerative cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our idea was to identify bioactive compounds from natural sources that could reach the brain and regulate the growth of neurons, resulting in improved memory formation.”
Dr Dae Hee Lee from CNGBio Co, which has supported and collaborated on the research project, said: “This important research is unravelling the molecular mechanism of lion’s mane mushroom compounds and their effects on brain function, particularly memory.”
The authors state: “Hericerin derivative are therefore attractive compounds for their ability to promote a pan-neurotrophic effect with converging ERK1/2 downstream signaling pathway and for their ability to promote the expression of neurotrophins.
“Further work will be needed to find the direct target of Hericerin capable of mediating such a potent pan-neurotrophic activity and establish whether this novel pathway can be harnessed to improve memory performance and for slowing down the cognitive decline associated with ageing and neurodegenerative diseases.”
UQ acknowledges the collaborative efforts of researchers from the Republic of Korea’s Gachon University and Chungbuk National University.
