Investigation of practices and technologies for lion's mane production, an emerging medicinal mushroom for Canada

狮马内（Hericum erinaceus）是一种食用菌，在我国有着广泛的药用价值。在北美，人们对狮子的马内的关注相对较少。狮子马内蘑菇提取物的治疗效果已经在动物模型和人类细胞系中进行了测试，积极的益处包括刺激神经生长因子的产生。狮马内和猴头菌属（Hericium）近缘种的子实体和菌丝体中分别含有猴头菌烯酮和猴头菌碱，这两种物质被认为是神经生长因子生物合成的刺激剂。为了切实可行地生产狮子马内和其他药用担子菌，需要更多关于它们的种植如何受到生产相关因素影响的信息。有广泛的知识，培养基的类型会影响狮子的马内菌丝体的生长动力学，但不太知道对erinacine配置文件的影响。我们的研究项目集中于开发最佳实践和/或技术，用于培养狮子马内菌丝体以及其他猴头菌属物种。我们将开发一种培养策略，结合最佳的培养基类型和临时浸泡方案，用于在液体培养中培养高毛茛菌丝体。此外，我们将探索将菌丝体暴露于发光二极管对猴头菌蘑菇的出菇和猴头菌烯酮含量是否相对于黑暗下的栽培有所改善的影响。我们将通过测试其对神经元模型系统的影响来验证从在最佳生产实践下培养的各种猴头菌属物种的菌丝体和子实体制备的提取物的营养潜力。拟议的研究将为2名多学科研究的硕士生提供独特的培训机会，包括真菌学，分析化学，生物化学，电生理学，药理学和药物遗传学技能，这些技能在科学，营养保健品和蘑菇科学领域需求量很大。这项研究将提供现成的做法/技术，供加拿大蘑菇种植者采用狮马内蘑菇种植，并为加拿大新兴的营养保健品部门开发产品。

Lion's mane (Hericum erinaceus) is an edible mushroom that is widely used in for traditional medicine in China. In North America, there has been relatively little focus on lion's mane. The therapeutic effects of lion's mane mushroom extracts have been tested in animal models and human cell lines, and positive benefits include stimulation of nerve growth factor production. The fruiting bodies and mycelia of lion's mane and related Hericium species respectively contain hericenones and erinacines, both of which are postulated as nerve growth factor biosynthesis stimulants. To feasibly produce lion's mane and other medicinal basidiomycetes more information is needed on how their cultivation is impacted by production-related factors. There is widespread knowledge that the type of culture media affects the growth dynamics of lion's mane mycelia, but not much is known about the impact on erinacine profiles. Our research project is focused on developing optimal practices and/or technologies for the cultivation of lion's mane mycelia as well as those of other Hericium species. We will develop a cultivation strategy that incorporates the best culture media type and temporary immersion regimen for cultivation of high erinacine mycelia in liquid culture. In addition, we will explore the impact of exposing mycelia to light emitting diodes on whether fruiting and hericenone content of Hericium mushrooms are improved relative to cultivation under darkness. We will verify the nutraceutical potential of extracts prepared from mycelia and fruiting bodies of various Hericium species cultivated under optimal production practices by testing their impact on neuronal model systems. The proposed research will provide unique training opportunities for 2 MSc students in multidisciplinary research, including mycology, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, electrophysiology, pharmacology and pharmacogenetic skills that are in high demand within the scientific, nutraceutical and mushroom science sectors. The research will provide ready to use practices/technologies for the adoption of lion's mane mushroom cultivation by Canadian mushroom growers as well as the development of products for the burgeoning nutraceutical sector in Canada.