ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the state-of-the-art in the use of H. erinaceus and its extracts as nutraceuticals and functional foods with an overview of its main properties and bioactive compounds. The diseases which have been dreaded are being eradicated so that everywhere on Earth, life expectancy is greatly improving. Thanks to modern means of communication and transport, the Earth has become a global village, which has the effect of facilitating various exchanges. Lion’s Mane mushroom contains an exceptionally high amount of structurally diverse and indubitably bioactive components, such as phenolic compounds, steroids, alkaloids, lactones, monounsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, polysaccharides and glycoproteins. Lion’s Mane mushroom has biologically active constituents with valuable effects on the brain, heart and intestines, among other things. Antioxidant activity is assessed by different methods, such as free radical-scavenging activity assay, ferrous ion chelating assay, reducing power, etc.
