Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) — powdered fruiting body 10 g

Description

Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. — powdered fruiting body, 10 g pack. Material intended exclusively for laboratory and analytical in vitro research. This product is not intended for human or animal consumption; it is not a medicinal product, food supplement, foodstuff or cosmetic.

Something that needs to be said at the outset

This description differs from the other items in our catalogue in one important respect: the material offered has no CAS number. Not because one has not been assigned — but because Hericium erinaceus as such is not a single chemical compound but a species of fungus. CAS numbers are assigned to specific molecules, whereas the powdered fruiting body is a complex mixture — of polysaccharides, cyathane-type diterpenoids (erinacines) and aromatic compounds (hericenones) — some of which have their own registry numbers (see the “Chemistry” section below), but none of which defines the material as a whole.

We state this plainly because the consequence is practical: the identity and quality of such a material are not confirmed by a single determination, as with a pure chemical substance, but by the chromatographic profile of marker compounds. The identification sheet below is therefore based on taxonomic data — the classification of the species and its number in the NCBI Taxonomy database — rather than on the registry record of a single substance.

Three distinct entities that must not be confused

As with other items in our catalogue, we separate the layers right at the outset — with the difference that the middle entity here is not a medicinal product but a commercial product marketed under food law:

The consequence is unambiguous. The research results referred to later on this page were obtained exclusively with finished commercial preparations given to humans in clinical studies (capsules or extracts of declared content), or with material administered to laboratory animals under controlled experimental conditions, or on cell lines in vitro. None of these studies was conducted with the research material offered on this page, and none of these results transfers to the material offered.

Material identification sheet

Lineage of the species: from Hydnum erinaceus to Hericium erinaceus

The species was described by the French mycologist Pierre Bulliard in the eighteenth century, who named it Hydnum erinaceus — placing it in the genus Hydnum, which at that time included most spined fungi. A later revision of this genus, carried out by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, separated the species with pendent, branched fruiting structures into a new genus, Hericium — hence today’s name Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers., in which the abbreviation of the author’s name denotes precisely this recombination.

Place in fungal classification

The taxon belongs to the order Russulales and the family Hericiaceae — it is therefore taxonomically adjacent to brittlegills (Russula) and milkcaps (Lactarius), despite the completely different habit of its fruiting body. In the NCBI Taxonomy database it is listed under identifier 91752, with the synonym Hericium erinaceum and the basionym Hydnum erinaceus recorded.

The species has a long culinary tradition and a place in the folk medicine of East Asia, where it is known as yamabushitake. The chemistry, nutritional value and history of use of the species are summarised in an extensive review by Friedman from 2015, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry [1].

Timeline

The centres that built the literature

Unlike some other items in our catalogue, where the literature originated in a single region and a single language, the literature on Hericium erinaceus is geographically dispersed — which facilitates cross-verification of results, but also means that different teams studied different preparations (erinacine A-enriched mycelium, powdered fruiting body, aqueous extracts) that are not always directly comparable with one another.

• Japan — Mushroom Laboratory, Hokuto Corporation (Nagano). The team behind the first randomised clinical study of the effect of a preparation on cognitive function in older people [2] and a study in a mouse model with amyloid β peptide [6].
• Taiwan — Grape King Bio / Chung Shan Medical University. A centre focused on erinacine A-enriched mycelium: a pilot study on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease [13] and a study in transgenic mice [9].
• United States — USDA Western Regional Research Center. The origin of the extensive review of the chemistry, nutritional value and bioactive compounds of the species [1].
• China — Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine. A team working on polysaccharide chemistry: a HILIC-MS method for profiling them in the fruiting body [14].
• United Kingdom — Northumbria University. The most recent of the studies cited, covering the acute and chronic effects of intake of a preparation in young, healthy adults [15].

Chemistry: two families of compounds, two different analytical behaviours

Cyathane diterpenoids versus aromatic compounds

Hericium erinaceus produces two structurally distinct groups of secondary metabolites, which serve in the literature as marker compounds for the species: erinacines — diterpenoids with a cyathane skeleton, detected mainly in the mycelium — and hericenones — aromatic derivatives of the isoindolinone type, present mainly in the fruiting body [1][4]. Both groups have their own registry numbers in chemical databases; the table below compares computed descriptors for one representative of each.

What this means for the laboratory

The difference in polarity is significant and has a practical consequence. Erinacine A carries a sugar residue and a markedly lower XLogP — in reversed-phase chromatography it elutes earlier. Hericenone B, lacking the sugar and with an extended isoprenoid chain, has an XLogP more than twice as high — it elutes considerably later. A laboratory designing a method for profiling both groups of compounds in a single run must allow for this spread in polarity, rather than assuming that one gradient will separate both families well [4][14].

This also matters for the identification sheet of the material itself: since the powder offered is a mixture rather than a single compound, the declared content of ≥ 99% refers to the raw material itself (absence of fillers and carriers), not to the percentage content of a single marker compound. Confirming the identity of a batch requires a chromatographic profile, not a single determination.

Nomenclature and synonyms

• Soplówka jeżowata — the Polish name, the official species name in Polish;
• Lion’s Mane — the English name, dominant in international trade and in the titles of most of the papers cited;
• Yamabushitake — the Japanese name, found in part of the Asian literature;
• Bearded Tooth Mushroom — an alternative English name, found in mycological works;
• Hericium erinaceum — a variant spelling of the specific epithet, recorded as a synonym in the NCBI Taxonomy database;
• Hydnum erinaceus — the basionym, the original name before recombination into the genus Hericium;
• Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. — the full systematic name with authors, the only unambiguous one.

The divergence of names has a bibliographic consequence: searching databases under only one of them misses some records, especially those indexed under the Japanese name or under the basionym.

Laboratory applications of the material

In laboratory practice the material functions analogously to a classical comparison reagent — as a reference point, not as a substance intended for further food processing:

• reference reagent for confirming species identity and raw material quality by chromatographic methods;
• standard in HILIC-MS methods for profiling fruiting-body polysaccharides [14];
• comparison material in research on the chemistry of cyathane diterpenoids and aromatic derivatives [1][4];
• substrate in comparative studies of the activity of medicinal mushroom polysaccharides by spectrophotometric methods [8];
• control material in determinations of heavy metal content in fungal raw materials — relevant when comparing cultivated material with wild-collected mushrooms [5];
• model material in preclinical in vitro studies (cell lines) and in studies on laboratory animals [6][7][9][10][11].

Storage, handling and safety at work

Store in the original, tightly closed packaging, in a dry and cool place, protected from light and moisture, away from food and feed and out of the reach of children. The powdered material is hygroscopic — excess moisture promotes caking and microbial growth, so the packaging should be closed immediately after each sample is withdrawn. Work only under laboratory conditions, using personal protective equipment: gloves, safety glasses and laboratory clothing; weigh the powder under conditions that minimise dusting. Avoid inhaling dust and contact with skin and eyes. Waste handling — in accordance with the regulations applicable to waste of biological origin at the place where the research is carried out.

Note on safety data. Toxicological data for this species come almost exclusively from studies on laboratory animals, conducted with specific, defined preparations (e.g. erinacine A-enriched mycelium) [10][11], and need not translate directly to material with a different processing profile. The absence of a documented hazard for one preparation is not equivalent to its absence for another.

Regulatory status

Hericium erinaceus is not registered as a medicinal product in any country known to us and has no pharmacopoeial monograph. Finished preparations based on this species (capsules, extracts) are present in retail trade and are placed on the market under food law, not pharmaceutical law — this offer does not concern them. The legal status of such preparations is subject to change in national law; the purchaser is responsible for checking the legal position in the country of destination before ordering. The material offered is a research raw material and has no authorisation for any use in humans or animals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the material offered differ from the capsules available commercially?

Capsules and extracts sold at retail are finished preparations with a declared form and content, placed on the market under food law. The material offered here is a powdered fruiting body intended exclusively for laboratory and analytical work — it has no form placed on the food market and no such accompanying documentation.

Does Hericium erinaceus have a CAS number?

No — the fungal species as a whole is not a single chemical compound, so it has no single CAS number. Individual compounds identified in this species do, however, have registry numbers, e.g. erinacine A (PubChem CID 10410568) or hericenone B (PubChem CID 14482559).

What are erinacines and hericenones?

They are two structurally distinct groups of secondary metabolites of the species: erinacines are diterpenoids with a cyathane skeleton, present mainly in the mycelium; hericenones are aromatic derivatives of the isoindolinone type, present mainly in the fruiting body. They differ markedly in polarity, which matters when selecting a chromatographic method.

Is Hericium erinaceus a medicine?

No. The species is not registered as a medicinal product in any country known to us and has no pharmacopoeial monograph. The material offered is a research raw material.

Are soplówka jeżowata and yamabushitake the same mushroom?

Yes. It is the same species name, Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. — yamabushitake is the Japanese name, soplówka jeżowata the Polish name, and Lion’s Mane and Bearded Tooth Mushroom are English variants.

Where does the number 91752 in the identification sheet come from?

It is the identifier of the species in the NCBI Taxonomy database — a public taxonomic register maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. It plays a role here analogous to that of a CAS number for single chemical compounds.

How should the material be stored?

In the original, tightly closed packaging, in a dry and cool place, protected from light and moisture, away from food and feed and out of the reach of children. The powder is hygroscopic — the packaging should be closed immediately after a sample is withdrawn.

How are the identity and quality of the material confirmed in the laboratory?

By the chromatographic profile of marker compounds (erinacines, hericenones, polysaccharides), e.g. by the HILIC-MS method described by Yu and co-workers — not by a single determination, as with a pure chemical substance. This follows from the fact that the material is a complex mixture, not a single compound.

Is a safety data sheet supplied with the material?

We make the safety data sheet available on request to recipients conducting research or analytical activities. Toxicological data come from animal studies with specific, defined preparations and need not translate directly to material with a different processing profile.

Is Hericium erinaceus legal in Poland?

The species is not registered as a medicinal product and does not appear on the lists of controlled substances. Finished commercial preparations are subject to food law — this offer does not concern them. The purchaser is responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with the law in force in the country of destination.

How is the material produced?

The fruiting body is dried under controlled conditions — using a dryer dedicated exclusively to this species, with no risk of cross-contamination with other fungi — and then powdered. The material comes from cultivation carried out in Poland.

What is the material used for in an analytical laboratory?

For confirming species identity and raw material quality by chromatographic methods, as a standard in HILIC-MS methods for profiling polysaccharides, as comparison material in research on the chemistry of diterpenoids and aromatic compounds, and in determinations of heavy metal content in fungal raw materials.

Is the material offered suitable for applications other than laboratory ones?

No. The material is intended exclusively for laboratory and analytical research. It is not intended for human or animal consumption; it is not a medicine, foodstuff or cosmetic and may not be used for medical, diagnostic or consumption purposes.

Why does the description contain no information on use or effects?

Because the material offered is a research material, not a product intended for consumption — information on use would concern finished commercial preparations, which this offer does not cover. The studies cited in the literature were conducted with such preparations or on laboratory animals, never with the material offered on this page.

References

The entries come from the PubMed database (queries run on 2026-09-07) and cover chemistry, taxonomy, preclinical studies and studies involving humans. Entries [2][3][12][13][15] are studies involving humans, conducted exclusively with finished commercial preparations (capsules, extracts of declared content) — not with the material offered on this page. Entries [5][6][7][9][10][11] are preclinical studies, in vitro or on laboratory animals. Entries [1][4][8][14] concern chemistry and analytical methods. All are cited as scientific context and bibliographic guidance, not as information about the effects of the material offered or as an encouragement to any use of it.

1. Friedman M (2015). “Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds.” J Agric Food Chem. PMID 26244378. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914.
2. Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K et al. (2009). “Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.” Phytother Res. PMID 18844328. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634.
3. Nagano M, Shimizu K, Kondo R et al. (2010). “Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake.” Biomed Res. PMID 20834180. doi:10.2220/biomedres.31.231.
4. Mori K, Kikuchi H, Obara Y et al. (2010). “Inhibitory effect of hericenone B from Hericium erinaceus on collagen-induced platelet aggregation.” Phytomedicine. PMID 20637576. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2010.05.004.
5. Zhu F, Qu L, Fan W et al. (2011). “Assessment of heavy metals in some wild edible mushrooms collected from Yunnan Province, China.” Environ Monit Assess. PMID 20976551. doi:10.1007/s10661-010-1728-5.
6. Mori K, Obara Y, Moriya T et al. (2011). “Effects of Hericium erinaceus on amyloid β(25-35) peptide-induced learning and memory deficits in mice.” Biomed Res. PMID 21383512. doi:10.2220/biomedres.32.67.
7. Liu Z, Wang Q, Cui J et al. (2015). “Systemic Screening of Strains of the Lion’s Mane Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) and Its Protective Effects on Aβ-Triggered Neurotoxicity in PC12 Cells.” Int J Med Mushrooms. PMID 25954906. doi:10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.v17.i3.20.
8. Chen P, Yong Y, Gu Y et al. (2015). “Comparison of antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of polysaccharides from eight species of medicinal mushrooms.” Int J Med Mushrooms. PMID 25954912. doi:10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.v17.i3.80.
9. Tsai-Teng T, Chin-Chu C, Li-Ya L et al. (2016). “Erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelium ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies in APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice.” J Biomed Sci. PMID 27350344. doi:10.1186/s12929-016-0266-z.
10. Lakshmanan H, Raman J, David P et al. (2016). “Haematological, biochemical and histopathological aspects of Hericium erinaceus ingestion in a rodent model: A sub-chronic toxicological assessment.” J Ethnopharmacol. PMID 27816657. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.084.
11. Li IC, Chen WP, Chen YP et al. (2018). “Acute and developmental toxicity assessment of erincine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelia in Sprague-Dawley rats.” Drug Chem Toxicol. PMID 29359595. doi:10.1080/01480545.2017.1381110.
12. Saitsu Y, Nishide A, Kikushima K et al. (2019). “Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus.” Biomed Res. PMID 31413233. doi:10.2220/biomedres.40.125.
13. Li IC, Chang HH, Lin CH et al. (2020). “Prevention of Early Alzheimer’s Disease by Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelia: A Pilot Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.” Front Aging Neurosci. PMID 32581767. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2020.00155.
14. Yu LS, Liang J, Zhang Y et al. (2021). “Enzymatic-fingerprinting workflow of polysaccharides in Hericium erinaceus fruiting bodies: From HILIC-ESI(-)-MS screening to targeted MIM profiling.” Int J Biol Macromol. PMID 33476617. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.01.093.
15. Docherty S, Doughty FL, Smith EF et al. (2023). “The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion’s Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study.” Nutrients. PMID 38004235. doi:10.3390/nu15224842.

Taxonomic data from NCBI Taxonomy (ID 91752). Identification data and computed descriptors of the marker compounds from PubChem (CID 10410568, CID 14482559).

Related reagents in our catalogue

• Alpha-GPC — methodological contrast: a single, defined choline compound with its own CAS number, whereas Hericium erinaceus is a complex biological material with no CAS number for the whole
• Acetyl-L-carnitine — both materials are studied in the context of neurotrophins and neuronal health, but acetyl-L-carnitine is a single, defined molecule, not a mixture of many compounds

Statement of intended use

The material offered is a biological raw material (powdered fruiting body) intended exclusively for research, analytical and laboratory purposes. It is not intended for human or animal consumption. It is not a medicinal product, food supplement, foodstuff, medical device or cosmetic. It may not be used for medical, diagnostic, therapeutic, prophylactic or consumption purposes, administered to humans or animals, applied to the skin, or added to food, beverages or feed. Sale exclusively to recipients conducting research, scientific or analytical activities, with laboratory facilities and the knowledge required for the safe handling of biological materials. The purchaser bears sole responsibility for the lawful and safe use of the material and for compliance with the regulations in force in the country of destination.