Hericium erinaceus

For the other species named hedgehog mushroom, see Hydnum repandum.

Hericium erinaceus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Subdivision:	Agaricomycotina
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Russulales
Family:	Hericiaceae
Genus:	Hericium
Species:	H. erinaceus
Binomial name
Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon
Synonyms
Clavaria erinaceus Dryodon erinaceus Hydnum erinaceus

Hericium erinaceus
Mycological characteristics
	teeth on hymenium
	no distinct cap
	lacks a stipe
	spore print is white
	ecology is parasitic
	edibility: choice

Hericium erinaceus (also called Lion's Mane Mushroom, Bearded Tooth Mushroom, Hedgehog Mushroom, Satyr's Beard, Bearded Hedgehog Mushroom, pom pom mushroom, or Bearded Tooth Fungus) is an edible mushroom and medicinal mushroom in the tooth fungus group. It can be identified by its tendency to grow all the spines out from one group (rather than branches), long spines (greater than 1 cm length) and its appearance on hardwoods. Hericium erinaceus can be mistaken for three other species of Hericium which also grow in North America, all of which are popular edibles. In the wild, these mushrooms are common during late summer and fall on hardwoods, particularly American Beech.

As edible mushroom

Hericium erinaceus is a choice edible when young, and the texture of the cooked mushroom is often compared to seafood. It often appears in Chinese vegetarian cuisine to replace pork or lamb. This mushroom is cultivated commercially on logs or sterilized sawdust. It is available fresh or dried in Asian grocery stores.

International names

It is called hóu tóu gū (simplified: 猴头菇; traditional: 猴頭菇; lit. "monkey head mushroom") in Chinese. In Japanese it is called yamabushitake (山伏茸; lit. "mountain hidden mushroom"). In Vietnamese it is called nấm đầu khỉ.

Hericium erinaceus research

In traditional Chinese medicine this mushroom has long been considered a medicinal mushroom and a study on rats in 2005 showed that some compounds in the mushroom, like threitol, D-arabinitol, and palmitic acid may have antioxidant effects, may regulate blood lipid levels and may reduce blood glucose levels.^[1]

Ying (1987) reports that pills of this mushroom are used in the treatment of gastric and esophageal carcinoma.

Scientists have investigated this mushroom for possible anti-dementia compounds. Primary research has demonstrated the following.

• Stimulated animal nerve cells.^[2]
• A double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial showed improved cognitive ability. ^[3]. Please note that this and the following Mori et al. studies were conducted by a company that sells mushrooms and has a vested interest in their increased sales. (conflict of interest)
• Stimulated nerve growth factor in an in vitro experiment with human astrocytoma cells. ^[4]
• Stimulated myelination in an in vitro experiment. ^[5]

Gallery

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References

1. ^ Hypoglycemic effect of extract of Hericium erinaceus
2. ^ Park YS, Lee HS, Won MH, Lee JH, Lee SY, Lee HY (September 2002). "Effect of an exo-polysaccharide from the culture broth of Hericium erinaceus on enhancement of growth and differentiation of rat adrenal nerve cells". Cytotechnology 39 (3): 155–62. doi:10.1023/A:1023963509393. PMID 19003308. 
3. ^ Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T (March 2009). "Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial". Phytother Res 23 (3): 367–72. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634. PMID 18844328. 
4. ^ Mori K, Obara Y, Hirota M, et al. (September 2008). "Nerve growth factor-inducing activity of Hericium erinaceus in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells". Biol. Pharm. Bull. 31 (9): 1727–32. doi:10.1248/bpb.31.1727. PMID 18758067. 
5. ^ Kolotushkina EV, Moldavan MG, Voronin KY, Skibo GG (2003). "The influence of Hericium erinaceus extract on myelination process in vitro". Fiziol Zh 49 (1): 38–45. PMID 12675022. 

External links

• Hericium erinaceus in Index Fungorum.
• Mushroomexpert.com - Hericium erinaceus
• Hericium erinaceus photos
• German info on Hericium erinaceus
• Use to treat dementia