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.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| mTOR-Dependent Synapse Formation Underlies the Rapid Antidepressant Effects of NMDA Antagonists Rats | 2010 | Observational study | |
| Activation of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission by Ketamine: A Novel Step in the Pathway from NMDA Receptor Blockade to Dopaminergic and Cognitive Disruptions Associated with the Prefrontal Cortex Conscious rats | 1997 | Dose-response study with microdialysis and behavioral testing | |
| NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Mice | 2016 | Preclinical study | |
| The dissociative anaesthetics, ketamine and phencyclidine, selectively reduce excitation of central mammalian neurones by N‐methyl‐aspartate Spinal neurons in decerebrate or pentobarbitone-anaesthetized cats and rats | 1983 | Experimental study | |
| R-ketamine: a rapid-onset and sustained antidepressant without psychotomimetic side effects Mice | 2015 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- A REVIEW OF KETAMINE ABUSE AND DIVERSION Depression and Anxiety August 1, 2016
- Ketamine for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders: comprehensive systematic review BJPsych Open December 23, 2021
- Dual action of ketamine confines addiction liability. Nature August 2022
- Consequences of chronic ketamine self-administration upon neurocognitive function and psychological wellbeing: a 1-year longitudinal study. Addiction January 2010