The biology of ergothioneine, an antioxidant nutraceutical

• Published in: Nutrition research reviews Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 190 - 217
• Main Authors: Borodina, Irina, Kenny, Louise C., McCarthy, Cathal M., Paramasivan, Kalaivani, Pretorius, Etheresia, Roberts, Timothy J., van der Hoek, Steven A., Kell, Douglas B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.2020
• Subjects: Actinobacteria - chemistry; Amino acids; Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Betaine; Biological Products - pharmacology; Biosynthesis; Cell culture; Dietary Supplements; Enzymes; Ergothioneine - pharmacology; Erythrocytes; Fruit bodies; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Fungi; Fungi - chemistry; Gene expression; Histidine; Humans; Inflammatory diseases; Mushrooms; nutrition research; Organic Cation Transport Proteins - metabolism; Organisms; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phylogenetics; Review; soil; solutes; Symporters - metabolism; Tuberculosis; Ergothioneine; SLC22A4; Oxidative stress; Cytoprotectants; Nutraceuticals
• ISSN: 0954-4224; 1475-2700; 1475-2700
• DOI: 10.1017/S0954422419000301

Ergothioneine (ERG) is an unusual thio-histidine betaine amino acid that has potent antioxidant activities. It is synthesised by a variety of microbes, especially fungi (including in mushroom fruiting bodies) and actinobacteria, but is not synthesised by plants and animals who acquire it via the soil and their diet, respectively. Animals have evolved a highly selective transporter for it, known as solute carrier family 22, member 4 (SLC22A4) in humans, signifying its importance, and ERG may even have the status of a vitamin. ERG accumulates differentially in various tissues, according to their expression of SLC22A4, favouring those such as erythrocytes that may be subject to oxidative stress. Mushroom or ERG consumption seems to provide significant prevention against oxidative stress in a large variety of systems. ERG seems to have strong cytoprotective status, and its concentration is lowered in a number of chronic inflammatory diseases. It has been passed as safe by regulatory agencies, and may have value as a nutraceutical and antioxidant more generally.