ABSTRACT
The goal of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant effects of and nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis caused by Hericium ramosum mycelia. Wild mushroom fruiting bodies were collected from nature to isolate their mycelia. Pieces of H. ramosum fruiting bodies were plated onto 90-mm Petri dishes with potato dextrose agar medium to isolate their mycelia. Antioxidant activity was measured using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity in vitro; the ethanol extract from H. ramosum mycelia (63.11 µmol Trolox/g) was more potent than that of other mushroom mycelia extracts. There was a proportional relationship (R2 = 0.7929) between DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content in extracts of different mushroom mycelia. We investigated the ability of H. ramosum mycelia to inducing NGF synthesis in vivo. Oral administration of H. ramosum mycelia significantly increased concentrations of NGF in the hippocampus of intact mice. These results are the first concerning antioxidant activity and NGF synthesis of H. ramosum mycelia. These mushroom mycelia could be useful as food and/or nutritional supplements because of certain biological functions.