Various studies indicate that low levels of estradiol negatively impact cognitive abilities. Extracts from the fungus Hericium erinaceus (HE) contain bioactive components that promote the proper functioning of the nervous system and potential effects on protection against neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia and motor dysfunctions. The objective was to evaluate the effects of the administration of the HE mushroom extract on visuospatial memory and morphology of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus in ovariectomized rats. 40 young Wistar rats weighing 90 ± 10 g BW were used, which were distributed into four groups of 10 animals;Control Group, non-ovariectomized and untreated rats;Group E2, ovariectomized rats treated with estradiol (2 μg/kg/body weight);Group HE, ovariectomized rats treated with the extract of the fungus Hericium erinaceus (0.5 mg/kg body weight) and Group Ovx/ST, ovariectomized rats, without treatment. The animals were tested in the Barnes and Open Field maze, then they were sacrificed, and their brains were obtained to perform a histological analysis of neuronal morphology in the CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus. The most outstanding results showed that the Ovx/ST group recorded the longest time to arrive at the escape box and stay in the Barnes maze. A correlation was observed between neuronal damage and function;in the groups that did not present satisfactory performance in the maze tests, morphological alterations were identified such as the presence of some neuronal somata with degeneration characteristics such as pyknosis, nuclear basophilia and shrinkage of the cells. Its soma, as well as a decrease in the nuclear area of CA1 and CA3 neurons. It is concluded that the fungus Hericium erinaceus exerted a neuroprotective effect on the neuronal bodies of the hippocampus, associated with better performance in the visuospatial recognition memory test.
Objective:To explore the therapeutic effects of the novel wild edible mushroom Astraeus hygrometricus(Pers.)Morgan(A.hygrometricus)on human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells.Methods:Extensive screening of the antiproliferative and chemopreventive potential of different extracts from 5 wild mushrooms,A.hygrometricus,Phallus sp.,Lentinus sp.,Tricholoma sp.,and Serpula sp.was performed against a panel of 6 cancer cell lines and normal cells using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT)assay.Apoptosis determination,cell cycle profiling,intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and reactive nitrogen species(RNS),and mitochondrial membrane potential were analyzed by flow cytometry.The activity of caspases was measured colorimetrically,and the expression pattern of mitochondrial proteins was analyzed.Results:The methanol extract of A.hygrometricus and MOLT-4 cells were identified as the most potent extract exhibiting antiproliferative activity and most sensitive cell line,respectively.The mushroom extract induced robust selective apoptosis in MOLT-4 cells and arrested cell cycle progression at the G0/G1 stage.The extract disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential and enhanced ROS production in MOLT-4 cells.The methanol extract induced apoptosis by downregulating the expression of Bcl-2,increasing the expression of Bax,and activating the caspase cascade.Conclusion:The novel wild edible mushroom is a potential repository of biomolecules for the development of antileukemic drugs.
Amrita PalRibhu RayAnirban ChouniSubhadip HajraSantanu Paul
