RESUMO
Drinking coffee is a daily routine for many people. Supplement manufacturers have proposed adding powdered Cordyceps militaris, known for its ergogenic and immunostimulating properties, and Hericium erinaceus, known for its nerve growth factor (NGF)-stimulating properties, to coffee. The aim of this work was to compare the bioactive substances in three types of coffee: machine-brewed, instant, and traditionally brewed, prepared with the addition of H. erinaceus and C. militaris fruiting bodies. The analysis of bioactive substances was performed using AAS and RP-HPLC methods. Among the control samples of coffee, traditionally brewed coffee was the best source of bioelements. Considering the mushroom species tested, the best additional source of Mg, Zn, Cu, Na, K, and Ca was C. militaris. A slightly higher Fe content was determined for H. erinaceus. With the addition of C. militaris, the amounts of 4-feruloylquinic acid (18.6 mg/200 mL) and 3,5-di-caffeoylquinic acid (3.76 mg/200 mL) also increased. In conclusion, the C. militaris species has been proven to be a better source of bioactive substances as a coffee additive in the daily diet. The combination of brewed coffee and the tested mushrooms seems to be the most beneficial in terms of health-promoting effects.
RESUMO
Major Depression Disease is a common mental illness that affects more than 322 million people worldwide and it is one of the leading causes of mental and physical disability. The etiology of depression is a complex interplay of psychological, social, and biological factors. Currently, psychopharmacotherapy is based mainly on the monoamine theory, which states that depression is caused by an insufficient level of monoamines such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine. Due to the relatively low efficacy of the typical antidepressant and the high prevalence of treatment-resistant depression (~30%), seeking new ways of prophylaxis, adjuvant therapy, or novel compounds with antidepressant activity, is a priority. According to studies that analyzed mushroom consumption patterns and depression prevalence, it was concluded that mushroom ingestion lowers the odds of depression. Medicinal mushrooms are considered functional foods because of their ability to synthesize and accumulate different types of metabolites, which enhance their health-promoting properties. The review aims to explain the antidepressant activity of edible/medicinal mushrooms by elucidating the mechanism from different perspectives: edible mushrooms as a source of serotonin precursors and psilocybin as a rapid-acting antidepressant. These compounds exhibit anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant activities that impact neurotrophin expression, the neurogenesis process, and influence on the gut-brain axis.
