Abstract
The Lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus, HE) is a traditional medical mushroom with high nutritional and economic value. HE possesses anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunomodulating, neurotrophic, and neuroprotective activities. The present study evaluated the protection and antioxidative activities of micronized mycelium of HE (HEM) in mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPTP). HEM was cultivated via solid-state fermentation and micronized using cell wall-breaking technology to increase its bioavailability when ingested. Erinacine A, the bioactive compound in the HEM, played a pivotal role in antioxidant defense. We found that micronized HEM could recover the dopamine level in the mice striatum in a dose-dependent manner that had been greatly reduced during MPTP treatment. Moreover, the malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonyl levels were reduced in the livers and brains of the MPTP + HEM-treated groups compared with the MPTP group. Additionally, antioxidant enzyme activities, including catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and glutathione reductase (GRd), were elevated after the administration of HEM in MPTP-treated mice in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, our data indicate that HEM cultivated via solid-state fermentation and processed with cell wall-breaking technology showed an excellent antioxidant efficacy.