Medicinal mushroom extract eases PCOS symptoms in rat study
Zhao J, Hu D, Bao H, Wang C, Wang Q
Medicinal Plants
The same fungus you might spot as a shaggy, hoof-shaped growth on old ash or apple trees is being studied as a source of compounds that calm hormonal imbalance and protect cells from a destructive iron-driven death process.
Scientists tested a water extract from Inonotus hispidus, a shaggy bracket fungus that grows on tree trunks, in rats with a PCOS-like condition. The extract reduced excess weight gain, restored normal hormone levels and cycles, protected the liver, and shifted gut bacteria back toward a healthier balance. It also stopped a specific kind of cell damage called ferroptosis in the ovaries, which may explain some of the benefits.
Key Findings
WE normalized estradiol, testosterone, and LH levels, and corrected the elevated LH/FSH ratio seen in PCOS rats
WE restored gut microbiota diversity and corrected the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio linked to metabolic dysbiosis
WE inhibited ovarian ferroptosis by downregulating ACSL4, HIF-1α, and TFRC while upregulating the protective protein GPX4
chevron_right Technical Summary
A water extract from the shaggy bracket fungus helped reverse PCOS-like symptoms in rats by calming inflamed ovarian cells, correcting hormone levels, and reshaping gut bacteria, offering a possible lead for future PCOS treatments.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Ameliorative effects and mechanisms of Inonotus hispidus on PCOS via regulation of gut microbiota-ovarian metabolism axis and ferroptosis inhibition.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine metabolic disorder with limited therapeutic options. This study investigated the ameliorative effects and underlying mechanisms of the wate...
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Inonotus hispidus, commonly known as shaggy bracket, is a fungus and plant pathogen found in Europe, Asia and North America.