Lion's mane or Hericium erinaceus, is a saprophytic wood mushroom, which has been used for centuries in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine. Almost 100 of its secondary metabolites are known today, and many have the potential for medicinal use. Of those, erinacines, hericenones and some polysaccharides are especially interesting, as they are some of the few natural compounds with proven effects on neuronal health. The purpose of this thesis was to gather the results of existing studies done on these compounds and figure out if they could be used as a supplement or partial substitution for healing nerve injuries and certain neural diseases. It has been proven by multiple studies, that polysaccharides and erinacines improve recovery after nerve injuries and protect neurons from the harmful effects of ROS, inflammation factors and beta-amyloid peptides, which play a key role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Some studies are in conflict on whether hericenones actually contribute to the protection of neurons. In many cases, Hericium erinaceus extracts showed similar or even greater positive effects than current medicines for nerve damage, such as mecobalamin, or currently known compounds that promote NGF synthesis, such as epinephrine. This is promising for future use in medicine, as a tool for slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's disease and as a treatment for nerve injuries, without unwanted side effects.
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