Influence of Short-Term Consumption of Hericium erinaceus on Serum Biochemical Markers and the Changes of the Gut Microbiota: A Pilot Study

Abstract

<i>Hericium erinaceus</i> (<i>H. erinaceus</i>) is widely studied as a medicinal and edible fungus. Recent studies have shown that <i>H. erinaceus</i> has protective effects for diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and cancer, which are related to gut microbiota. To investigate the benefits of <i>H. erinaceus</i> intake on gut microbiota and blood indices in adulthood, we recruited 13 healthy adults to consume <i>H. erinaceus</i> powder as a dietary supplement. Blood changes due to <i>H. erinaceus</i> consumption were determined by routine hematological examination and characterized by serum biochemical markers. Microbiota composition was profiled by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Results showed that daily <i>H. erinaceus</i> supplementation increased the alpha diversity within the gut microbiota community, upregulated the relative abundance of some short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producing bacteria (<i>Kineothrix alysoides</i>, <i>Gemmiger formicilis</i>, <i>Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans</i>, <i>Eubacterium rectale</i>, <i>Faecalibacterium prausnitzii</i>), and downregulated some pathobionts (<i>Streptococcus thermophilus</i>, <i>Bacteroides caccae</i>, <i>Romboutsia timonensis</i>). Changes within the gut microbiota were correlated with blood chemical indices including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), uric acid (UA), and creatinine (CREA). Thus, we found that the gut microbiota alterations may be part of physiological adaptations to a seven-day <i>H. erinaceus</i> supplementation, potentially influencing beneficial health effects.