What Hericium erinaceus is
Lion's mane, or Hericium erinaceus (English names — Lion's Mane, Yamabushitake, Pom Pom), is a wood-decay saprotroph from the Hericiaceae family. The fruiting body is spherical, white or cream, with characteristic long hanging "spines" up to 5 cm on which spores form. It grows on dead and weakened hardwood — oak, beech, maple, ash — in temperate forests of Eurasia and North America.
The mushroom has long been used in East Asian cuisine and in traditional Chinese medicine (Chinese hou tou gu, literally "monkey's head"). Scientific interest centres on two groups of low-molecular-weight compounds isolated from the fruiting body and mycelium — hericenones and erinacines — which in laboratory and animal models stimulate the synthesis of nerve growth factors.
The botanical description, habitat and active-compound composition are in the lion's mane card. Additional context: reishi, agarikon and the general mushroom catalog.
NGF, BDNF and what neurodegeneration models study
Neurotrophic factors
NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) and BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) are neurotrophin-family proteins required for neuronal survival, differentiation and plasticity. Lower levels are associated with neurodegenerative processes — Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, mild cognitive impairment. Pharmacological stimulation of NGF/BDNF is considered one direction of neuroprotection.
Where H. erinaceus keeps its active molecules
- Hericenones (hericenones A–J) are isolated mainly from the fruiting body.
- Erinacines (erinacines A–S) — mainly from the mycelium.
The review "Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's Mane mushroom" collects the data on these compounds, their distribution between fruiting body and mycelium, and their pharmacological effects in cellular and animal models.
What laboratory and animal studies showed
NGF-synthesis stimulation
In a series of in-vitro studies, H. erinaceus extracts increased NGF production in astrocytes and neuroblastoma cell lines. The effect was seen both with standardized hericenone fractions and with water-alcohol mycelial extracts containing erinacines. This justified behavioural and clinical studies.
BDNF and hippocampal neurogenesis
A study published in Nutrients (MDPI) in 2023 — "Hericium erinaceus Improves Recognition Memory and Induces Neurogenesis" — showed that oral administration of a standardized H. erinaceus extract in mice improved novel-object recognition and was accompanied by increased neurogenesis markers in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, including BDNF-immunoreactive cells.
Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models
In animal models (transgenic mice, induced models), H. erinaceus extracts reduced the severity of behavioural impairment and lowered neuroinflammation markers. These data are collected in the review on PubMed on Hericium erinaceus and neurodegenerative diseases. The authors stress that translating animal results to humans requires caution: doses, extraction methods and course duration differ widely between studies.
Human clinical studies (2020–2025)
Randomized placebo-controlled trials
Over the past five years several small RCTs on cognitive function, mood and sleep quality have been published in healthy volunteers and patients with mild cognitive impairment. Typical findings:
- Cognitive measures (short-term memory, reaction speed) — some studies showed improvement vs placebo after 8–12 weeks.
- Subjective mood and sleep scales — reduced anxiety and improved sleep quality; moderate effect, samples in the dozens.
- Plasma NGF/BDNF biomarkers — data are contradictory: in some studies blood BDNF rose, in others it did not differ from placebo. Peripheral BDNF does not directly reflect CNS processes.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
By 2024 the first meta-analyses aggregating the clinical trials appeared. The authors note the dataset is growing: new studies with larger samples and modern designs are appearing, including in Europe and North America. This dynamic is mirrored in our Mushrooms and immunity topic review, which also covers adjacent research on other functional fungi.
Where H. erinaceus intersects with other fungi in our catalog
- Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) — a wood-decay polypore also described as neuroprotective and immunomodulating; see the reishi card.
- Agarikon (Laricifomes officinalis) — a wood-decay fungus mentioned for antiviral effects; see the agarikon card.
- Beta-glucans — the shared immunomodulation mechanism across fungi; see Beta-glucans and immunity and the Mushrooms and immunity topic.
- Mycoremediation — H. erinaceus is mentioned in reviews alongside other wood-decay fungi as a potential biotech object; context in Mycoremediation: how fungi clean soil and the Mycoremediation topic.
What is important to keep in mind
- It is a dietary supplement. H. erinaceus extracts are registered as dietary supplements or functional foods and are widely used in East Asian cuisine and folk medicine.
- Standardization is critical. Different commercial products contain different hericenone/erinacine ratios, different raw material (fruiting body or mycelium) and different extraction methods. This complicates comparison across studies.
- Effects in healthy people. Most positive clinical data come from relatively healthy volunteers with mild cognitive complaints. Data in patients with an established dementia diagnosis remain preliminary.
- Safety. In short-term studies side effects are rare (occasionally mild GI discomfort). Long-term safety continues to be studied.
Related materials
- Species card: Lion's mane
- Site catalog: Mushroom catalog
- Other wood-decay fungi with medicinal activity: Reishi, Agarikon, Trametes versicolor, Chaga
- Beta-glucans and the general immunity theme: Beta-glucans and immunity and Mushrooms and immunity
- Mycoremediation and adjacent directions: Mycoremediation: how fungi clean soil
- Other evidence reviews: Trametes versicolor: PSK and PSP, Chaga: antioxidant and metabolic effects
- Sources and publication types: Sources