Cultivated Lion's Mane nutraceutical extract (erinacine-standardised)
Erinacine-standardised Lion's Mane extract from controlled Himachal Pradesh mushroom farms, grown on hardwood substrate under ICAR-linked cultivation know-how.
| Origin | Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Indian subcontinent | Yes |
| Category | Fungi & Functional Mycology |
| Retail price band | Retail standardised extract powder: roughly ₹1,150–₹14,294/kg on India B2B listings depending on grade (dual-extraction/ultrasound-assisted grades command the top end); comparable international standardised nootropic-grade extracts (e.g. Nootropics Depot capsules) retail in the $800–1,500/kg-equivalent band. |
| Bulk / trade price band | Bulk 25kg+ lots of Lion's Mane extract powder trade around ₹2,200–₹3,200/kg on IndiaMART; basic/lower-purity extract powder can go as low as ₹576/kg — erinacine-standardised material is not separately price-tagged in listings found, so treat the top of the extract range as the realistic bulk floor for a standardised product. |
| Sourcing status | Dossier researched from public sources — producer contact not yet established |
| Compliance status | Preliminary review complete (see below) — not yet legally verified |
Detailed study
Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) is a wood-decay fungus that fruits on hardwood logs/stumps; erinacines (from mycelium) and hericenones (from fruiting body) are its signature bioactive diterpenoids studied for neurotrophic (NGF-stimulating) activity. Commercial cultivation uses sawdust/hardwood-sub log substrate under controlled temperature and humidity, with erinacine content varying significantly by strain, substrate and extraction method — 'erinacine-standardised' implies HPLC-verified assay, which is a manufacturer claim to verify per batch, not an automatic feature of Lion's Mane extract.
Provenance & producer
Himachal Pradesh (Shimla belt) has active commercial mushroom cultivation and at least one IndiaMART-listed grower (Shimla-based 'tasteheal') selling fresh Lion's Mane; ICAR-IIHR's Mushroom Research Laboratory separately sells Hericium erinaceus spawn, indicating institutional cultivation support for the species in India, though not confirmed as HP-specific. No dedicated erinacine-standardisation facility in HP was identified in search — this is a claim to verify with the specific supplier.
Market & pricing
Indian wholesale/trade listings (IndiaMART) show Lion's Mane extract powder priced from ₹576/kg (low-grade) to ₹14,294/kg (ultrasound-assisted dual extract, Bengaluru), with mid-range extract commonly ₹1,150–₹3,200/kg. No India-specific price was found for erinacine-assayed material specifically; Western nootropic brands' standardised extracts are the closest quality-comparable benchmark, clearly higher than commodity extract.
Compliance & export
Fungi (including Hericium erinaceus) are not covered by CITES, which regulates only plants and animals. In the EU, Hericium erinaceus fruiting body is recognised under Novel Food rules as having a history of food use and is generally not novel; concentrated erinacine-standardised mycelium extracts may fall under Novel Food scrutiny depending on production process — check current EU Novel Food catalogue status before EU export. In India, cultivated mushroom sale falls under FSSAI food-business norms rather than wildlife law.
Sources
- Lion's Mane mushroom, Shimla (IndiaMART, tasteheal)
- ICAR-IIHR Mushroom Research Laboratory — Lion's Mane spawn
- Lion's Mane extract powder, ₹576–₹14,294/kg range (IndiaMART listings)
- Nootropics Depot — Lion's Mane extract powder (international benchmark)
Image status
A working reference photograph is in place, captured from a freely-licensed Wikimedia Commons source (File:Hericium erinaceus 64176 02.jpg). Hosted on Wikimedia Commons; exact licence tag not independently re-verified live this session — confirm on file page before use. Treat this as a placeholder for marketing purposes: exact licence terms should be re-verified on the Commons file page, and original producer photography is recommended before final trade use.