*4.1.8 Mushrooms as hepatoprotective agents*

Early studies on bioactive compounds, ganoderic acids R and S and ganosporeric acid A from *Gonaderma lucidum* have shown *in vitro* antihepatotoxic activity in the galactosamine-induced cytotoxic test using primary cell-cultured rat hepatocytes [2, 44]. Further *in vivo* study of two fractions of total triterpenoids extract of *G. lucidum* (75% ethanol) demonstrated a protective activity in mice against hepatic necrosis induced by chloroform and D-galactosamine, respectively. The hepatoprotective properties were more associated with the scavenging promoting capacity of enzymes for hepatic free radicals in mice, and hence the increase in the antioxidant activity in mice [44, 45]. In addition to the widely investigated psychoactive mushrooms like *Amanita muscaria* or *Psilocybe* spp., some bioactive compounds mushroom extracts have shown special central nervous effects of pharmacological interest. Phenol-analogous compounds like (hericenons C, D, E, F, G, H) from *Holothuria erinaceus* are capable of inducing the synthesis of nerve growth factors, potential improved effect in Alzheimer's dementia [48]. Erinacin E from *Hericium coralloides* fermentation broth is a highly selective agonist at the kappa opioid receptor with (IC50 of 0.8 mM, receptor binding at the m opioid receptor with an I 50 of >200 mM). These metabolites could exhibit antinociceptive activity without little side effects observed with m receptor agonists like morphine [35]. Biochemical screening of selected basidiomycetes has shown inhibitory effects of *G. applanatum*, *H. annosum*, *P. betulinus*, *Fomitopsis pinicola*, and *Daedaleopsis confragosa* on neutral endopeptidase (enkephalinase) (IC50 values between 40 and 55 mg/ml) [93].
