Anti-aging and neuroprotective properties of Grifola frondosa and Hericium erinaceus extracts

Abstract

Nutrition has relevant consequences for human health and increasing pieces of evidence indicate that medicinal mushrooms have several beneficial effects. One of the main issues in Western countries is represented by the challenges of aging and age-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders. Among these, Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects 10 million people worldwide and is associated with α-synuclein misfolding, also found in other pathologies collectively called synucleinopathies. Here, we show that aqueous extracts of two edible mushrooms, <i>Grifola frondosa</i> and <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>, represent a valuable source of β-glucans and exert anti-aging effects in yeast. Their beneficial effects are mediated through the inhibition of the Ras/PKA pathway, with increased expression of heat shock proteins, along with a consistent increase of both mean and maximal lifespans. These fungal extracts also reduce the toxicity of α-synuclein heterologously expressed in yeast cells, resulting in reduced ROS levels, lower α-synuclein membrane localization, and protein aggregation. The neuroprotective activity of <i>G. frondosa</i> extract was also confirmed in a PD model of <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>. Taken together, our data suggest the use of <i>G. frondosa</i> and <i>H. erinaceus</i> as functional food to prevent aging and age-related disorders, further supporting the neuro-healthy properties of these medicinal mushroom extracts.