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

狮茸(Hericum Erinaceus)是中国的一种传统药用食用菌。在北美，人们对狮毛的关注相对较少。狮毛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，积极的好处包括刺激神经生长因子的产生。狮毛及其近缘种的子实体和菌丝体分别含有猴头烯酮和猴头菌素，两者都被认为是神经生长因子生物合成的刺激物。为了可行地生产狮毛和其他药用担子菌，需要更多关于它们的培养如何受到生产相关因素影响的信息。人们普遍知道，培养介质的类型会影响狮子茸毛菌丝体的生长动态，但对马鞭草的影响却知之甚少。我们的研究项目集中在开发最佳实践和/或技术，以培养狮子鬃菌丝体以及其他猴头菌物种。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，在液体培养中培养高马鞭草菌丝体。此外，我们还将探索菌丝体暴露在发光二极管下对猴头菇果实和猴头烯酮含量是否比黑暗下栽培的影响。我们将通过测试它们对神经元模型系统的影响来验证从各种猴头菌种的菌丝体和子实体中提取的提取物在最佳生产实践下的营养潜力。拟议的研究将为2名理科硕士学生提供独特的多学科研究培训机会，包括真菌学、分析化学、生物化学、电生理学、药理学和药物遗传技术，这些技能在科学、营养食品和蘑菇科学部门中需求很高。这项研究将为加拿大蘑菇种植者采用狮毛蘑菇种植提供现成的做法/技术，并为加拿大新兴的营养食品部门开发产品。

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.