Hericium erinaceus mycelium ameliorate anxiety induced by continuous sleep disturbance in vivo

Abstract

Background: Sleep disruption is a major public health issue and may increase the risk of mortality by ten-folds if an individual is sleeping less than 6 h per night. Sleep has changed dramatically during to the COVID-19 pandemic because COVID symptoms can lead to psychological distress including anxiety. Hericium erinaceus mycelium has been widely investigated in both the in vivo studies and clinical trials for its neuroprotective functions because the mycelium contains hericenones and erinacines, which synthesize the nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Recent in vivo reports have shown showed that erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelium can modulate BDNF/TrkB/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathways to induce an antidepressant-like effect. A large body of evidence indicates that erinacine can pass the blood-brain barrier and suggests its neuroprotective function in both peripheral and central nervous systems. Thus, Hericium erinaceus mycelium may be a dual-function supplement for sleep disruption improvement while sustaining anxiolytic effects.

Method: To simulate the condition of sleep disruption, the mice were subjected to the tail suspension test (TST) for 15 min every day during the same period for nine consecutive days. Two different doses (75 and 150 mg/kg) of Hericium erinaceus mycelium were administered orally 20 min prior to the TSTs before entering the light period of 12:12 h L:D cycle. All sleep-wake recording was recorded for 24 h using electroencephalogram and electromyogram. The elevated-plus-maze and open-field tests were conducted to record the behavior activities.

Results: Consecutive TSTs prior to the light period could cause significant sleep disturbance and anxiety behavior in the elevated-plus-maze experiments. Results showed that administration with Hericium erinaceus mycelium at 150 mg/kg ameliorated the rodent anxiety (p < 0.05) and reversed the TST-induced NREM sleep disturbance in the dark period.

Conclusion: This is the first in vivo study suggesting that Hericium erinaceus mycelium has a dual potential role for anxiety relief through improving sleep disruptions.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Hericium erinaceus mycelium; NREM; Sleep.

Fig. 1

The mice cumulative immobility analysis after the consecutive 9-day TSTs (n = 6)

Fig. 2

A The blue circles represent NREM sleep acquired from the control group without the TSTs (n = 6), and the red squares represent the data obtained from the group with the TSTs (n = 6). The x-axis depicts the time after the TSTs, and the y-axis represents the percentages of NREM sleep. B The blue circles represent REM sleep acquired from the control group without the TSTs (n = 6), and the red squares represent the data from the group with the TSTs (n = 6). The x-axis depicts the time after the TSTs, and the y-axis represents the percentages of REM sleep. The white and black bars demonstrate the 12 h light period and 12 h dark period, respectively. All data with a * sign means p < 0.05

Fig. 3

The blue circles represent the sleep data acquired from the TSTs group (n = 6), and the red squares represent the data from the group with the low dose of H. erinaceus mycelium administration before TSTs (A; n = 4), and the high dose of H. erinaceus mycelium administration (B, n = 2). The x-axis depicts the time after the TSTs, and the y-axis represents the percentages of NREM sleep. In REM sleep, panel C represents the data acquired from a low dose of H. erinaceus mycelium administration before the TSTs (n = 4), and D represents the data acquired from with a high dose of H. erinaceus mycelium administration before the TSTs (n = 2). The x-axis depicts the time after the TSTs, and the y-axis represents the percentages of REM sleep. The white and black bars represent the 12 h light period and 12 h dark period, respectively. All data with a * sign imply p < 0.05

Fig. 4

The effects of different doses of H. erinaceus mycelium in EPM tests after the TSTs. *: p < 0.05

Fig. 5

The effects of different doses of H. erinaceus mycelium in OF tests after the TSTs. *: p < 0.05

Fig. 6

The graph represents the effects of two doses of H. erinaceus mycelium in plasma dopamine concentrations. *: p < 0.05

Fig. 7

HPLC chromatograms for the standard of erinacine A (blue line), C (purple line), and the H. erinaceus mycelium extract (black line)