Omnia SanaSymptom → Plant Sources
Lions mane (Hericium erinaceus) and Cold & flu: evidence and sources
inferred from immunomodulator action
For educational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants, especially alongside prescribed medication, during pregnancy, or for a serious condition.
This study aimed to optimize the extraction of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides (HEP) using ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction combined with Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal extraction conditions were identified as: 33 min extraction time, 30:1 liquid to material ratio, 38 °C extraction temperature, 9 g/kg cellulase amount, pH 4, and 20 % ethanol concentration. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of HEP was 5.87 ± 0.16 %, consistent with the predicted results. Additionally, the potential immunomodulatory activity of HEP on RAW 264.7 macrophage was evaluated. The results revealed that HEP improved the immunostimulatory activity of RAW264.7 cells, evident from increased production of IL-6 and TNF-α. These findings suggest that HEP is capable of enhancing the immune activity of RAW 264.7 macrophage.
2 sources supporting Lions mane for Cold & flu. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's immunomodulator / immune support action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
The culinary and medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus is widely consumed in Asian countries, but apparently not in the United States, for its nutritional and health benefits. To stimulate broader interest in the reported beneficial properties, this overview surveys and consolidates the widely scattered literature on the chemistry (isolation and structural characterization) of polysaccharides and secondary metabolites such as erinacines, hericerins, hericenones, resorcinols, steroids, mono- and diterpenes, and volatile aroma compounds, nutritional composition, food and industrial uses, and exceptional nutritional and health-promoting aspects of H. erinaceus. The reported health-promoting properties of the mushroom fruit bodies, mycelia, and bioactive pure compounds include antibiotic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antifatigue, antihypertensive, antihyperlipodemic, antisenescence, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective properties and improvement of anxiety, cognitive function, and depression. The described anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and immunostimulating properties in cells, animals, and humans seem to be responsible for the multiple health-promoting properties. A wide range of research advances and techniques are described and evaluated. The collated information and suggestion for further research might facilitate and guide further studies to optimize the use of the whole mushrooms and about 70 characterized actual and potential bioactive secondary metabolites to help prevent or treat human chronic, cognitive, and neurological diseases.