Maitake Medicinal Mushroom, Grifola frondosa (Agaricomycetes), and Its Neurotrophic Properties: A Mini-Review

Neurodegeneration is one of the most common manifestations in an aging population. The occurrence of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are the main contributors to the phenomenon. Neurologic conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are challenging to treat due to their irreversible manner as well as the lack of effective treatment. <i>Grifola frondosa</i> (Dicks.: Fr.) S.F. Gray, or maitake mushroom, is believed to be a potential choice as a therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative diseases. <i>G. frondosa</i> is known to be a functional food that has a wide variety of medicinal purposes. Thus, this review emphasizes the neuroprotective effects and the chemical composition of <i>G. frondosa</i>. Various studies have described that <i>G. frondosa</i> can protect and proliferate neuronal cells through neurogenesis, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-&beta;-amyloid activities. The mechanism of action behind these therapeutic findings in various <i>in vitro</i> and<i> in vivo</i> models has also been intensively studied. In this mini review, we also summarized the chemical composition of <i>G. frondosa</i> to provide a better understanding of the presence of nutritional compounds in <i>G. frondosa</i>.