Maitake Products, Inc., East Rutherford, NJ announced that a new substance has been found in a mushroom called Lion's Mane that inhibits the toxicity of plaques containing amyloid beta peptide (A beta P) in brain cells. This agent is isolated and identified by a researcher group led by Dr. H. Kawagishi of Shizuoka University, Japan and Dr. Cun Zhuang of Maitake Products, Inc. in NJ.  This new agent has been named amyloban. It has been already awarded a patent in Japan (Japanese Patent #394,3399).

It is known that the formation of A beta P causes neuronal apoptosis (destruction of neurons) that leads to the progress of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers have found that amyloban inhibits the toxicity of the plaques of A beta P and it would exert a protective effect on brain cells by shielding them from the damage by A beta P.

Dr. Kawagishi already discovered a novel class of compounds in Lion's Mane called hericenones that has shown to stimulate the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in the brain. It would cause brain neurons to regenerate and help improve memory function and mental clarity.

Medicinal mushrooms have become a hot item in the netraceutical market in the last 10 years. The attention of the research in the West until now has primarily been paid on their anticancer and immune-enhancing properties. SX-fraction, a glycoprotein to fight metabolic syndrome isolated from Maitake Mushroom, may be one of the few exceptions that is known in the market. Now we have amyloban and hericenones from Lion's Mane as the potent natural relief for Dementia including Alzheimer's. These new agents may draw some attention in the market as no regimen has established yet that can improve the fundamental and functional capabilities of the patients of Alzheimer's.