Culinary-Medicinal Lion's Mane Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes) Mycelium Mitigates Ketamine Abuse Potential
Mei-Yi Lee, Yung Ting Hung, Yu-Ching Hsiao, Li-Ya Lee, Wan-Ping Chen, Yu-Wen Chen, Chin-Chu Chen
International journal of medicinal mushrooms 2026 DOI: 10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.2026064464 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male Sprague-Dawley rats |
| Interventions | Hericium erinaceus mycelium Erinacine A |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key findings | Higher doses of H. erinaceus mycelium and erinacine A significantly reduced ketamine intake and motivation under both fixed ratio and progressive ratio schedules. The mycelium had no effect on food reinforcement, whereas erinacine A reduced it, suggesting the mycelium specifically reduces ketamine's reinforcing effectiveness. |
Abstract
Ketamine therapy is effective in alleviating symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety; however, its increasing recreational use raises concerns about potential abuse. Hericium erinaceus mycelium, which contains the bioactive compound erinacine A, has shown promise in promoting brain health. This study investigated whether H. erinaceus mycelium and erinacine A could reduce ketamine's abuse potential using a rat self-administration model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer ketamine (0.5 mg/kg/infusion) or sucrose pellets under fixed ratio (FR) 2 or progressive ratio (PR) schedules. The dose-dependent effects of H. erinaceus mycelium and erinacine A on ketamine and sucrose consumption, as well as motivation to acquire them, were assessed using these reinforcement schedules. At higher doses, both H. erinaceu mycelium and erinacine A significantly reduced ketamine intake and motivation under both schedules. While H. erinaceus mycelium had no effect on food reinforcement, erinacine A reduced it. These findings suggest that H. erinaceus mycelium specifically reduces the reinforcing effectiveness of ketamine, highlighting its potential as a supplement to mitigate abuse risk during ketamine therapy.