The edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii produces various beneficial molecules that affect human health. Recently, researchers discovered that P. eryngii produces substances with antidepressant effects. An ethanol extract was made from the fruiting body of this mushroom, which was then purified using a resin called XAD-16 in an open column system. This ethanol extract was further separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the fraction with antidepressant properties was identified. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), the antidepressant molecule was found to be tryptamine, which is a derivative of tryptophan.
The antidepressant effects were confirmed through several tests. A serotonin receptor binding assay and a cell-based binding assay showed that the ethanol extract, the XAD-16 column eluate, and the HPLC fraction had antidepressant activity. Additionally, a forced swimming test (FST) on mice demonstrated that those treated with the purified fractions of P. eryngii had reduced immobility time compared to untreated mice. These findings suggest that the extract from P. eryngii has antidepressant properties and could potentially be used as a health supplement to help with depression.
Park, Y. S., Jang, S., Lee, H., Kang, S., Seo, H., Yeon, S., . . . Yun, C. W. (2021). Identification of the Antidepressant Function of the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus eryngii. J Fungi (Basel), 7(3). doi:10.3390/jof7030190
