A Review on Adaptogenic Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds and Pharmacological Insights

Abstract

The adaptogenic mushrooms have increasingly attracted the scientific community's attention as they have the potential to improve stress resilience, immunity and metabolism due to their multi-targeted nature of stimulating biological activities. They were traditionally used in systems like Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, but are currently under study using modern methods of pharmacology and molecular research. This paper critically reviews major adaptogenic mushrooms, including Ganoderma lucidum, Cordyceps militaris and C. sinensis, Hericium erinaceus, Inonotus obliquus and Grifola frondosa with emphasis on their key bioactive compounds, including β-glucans, triterpenoids, cordycepin, erinacines and polyphenols, which have been associated with, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective properties, and metabolic regulatory effects. The review also investigates the mechanistic basis of adaptogenic activity of the mushrooms, which includes hormonal and neurotransmitter control, modulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, activation of cellular stress-response pathways like AMPK, NRF2, and attenuation of oxidative and inflammatory stress. Overall, this review paper discusses farming techniques and environmental elements affecting the bioactive content of mushrooms, therefore stressing the necessity of quality control and standardisation. Adaptogenic mushrooms have a growing potential for use as complementary treatments and functional foods, yet extensive in-vitro and animal studies support adaptogenic mechanisms; clinical validation remains limited and heterogeneous.