Production of erinacine A by Hericium erinaceus cultivated in ground wheat: substrate screening, compositional changes and drying stability

Biotransformation represents an industrial way to develop a wide range of bioactive products. These include food containing bioactive compounds that can be explored to mitigate emerging human diseases, such as obesity, metabolic dysfunction, brain oxidative downregulation and neurological diseases. For instance, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that Erinacine A (ErA), found in the edible mushroom Hericium erinaceus , mostly in its mycelium, can act against memory shortfalls given its nutritional, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiangiogenic, hypolipidemic, anti-aging and immunomodulatory activities. Therefore, this study focused on the solid-state fermentation of H. erinaceus on four different growth substrates to obtain a fermented product enriched with ErA that could be used in the food industry as a functional ingredient with potential benefits for cognitive health. The results revealed that even though all four substrates allowed H. erinaceus to grow under solid-state conditions, ground wheat provided consistent high yields of ErA. The proximal composition on a dry basis supported efficient bioconversion of biomolecules: protein increased by 7.69 percentage points (pp), lipids by 12.32 pp., and ash by 0.29 pp. The fiber fraction decreased by 34.29 pp., and total carbohydrates increased by 13.99 pp. The ErA content remained stable under drying conditions of up to 50 °C for 24 h, highlighting its thermostability as a functional ingredient for neural health. In conclusion, using ground wheat as a substrate for H. erinaceus growth enhanced the nutritional value of the final fermented matrix.