Comparative Analysis of Extraction Techniques for Phenolics and Polysaccharides from Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes): Optimization and Yield Evaluation

<i>Hericium erinaceus</i> is widely recognized for its culinary and medicinal properties. This study evaluates various extraction techniques to optimize total phenolic and polysaccharide fractions in <i>H. erinaceus</i>. The objective was to determine the most suitable method for maximizing both yield and bioactivity of the extracts. We assessed the effectiveness of traditional soaking and ultrasonication for phenolic extraction, alongside hot water extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, and cold and hot alkaline extraction methods for polysaccharide extraction. GC-MS metabolite profiling indicated that ultrasonic phenolic extraction combined with NaOH-based alkaline extraction was the most effective, yielding the highest polysaccharide content and demonstrating superior antioxidant activity. These findings highlight the efficacy of the extraction technique in isolating bioactive compounds rich in metabolites by reducing the extraction timeline, demonstrating its potential for diverse applications in the nutraceutical industry.