Role of Mushrooms in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Mushrooms have extensively been used not only as a dietary intake but also for the treatment of various central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) disorders. At its early stages, accumulated evidence has suggested that culinary-medicinal mushrooms may play a significant role in the prevention of many age-associated neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Therefore, further research and efforts have been devoted to a search for more mushroom species that may improve memory and cognitive functions and, in addition, prevent the progression of dementia and neurodegeneration. Such mushrooms include Hericium erinaceus, Ganoderma lucidum, Lignosus rhinocerotis, Pleurotus giganteus, Sarcodon scabrosus, Antrodia camphorata, Paxillus panuoides, Mycoleptodonoides aitchisonii, and several other species. This review focuses on the various abovementioned neuroprotective, culinary-medicinal mushrooms and the bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from them. The mushrooms’ extracts from basidiocarps/mycelia or isolated compounds have been known to decrease neurotoxicity through various neuroprotective molecular mechanisms such as anti-acetylcholinesterase activity, neurite outgrowth stimulation (neuritogenic), and nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis (neurotrophic), enhancing mitochondrial functions and reducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, in addition to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, mushrooms can be considered as useful therapeutic agents in the prevention, management, and/or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.