Potential of traditional Chinese medicine in gastrointestinal disorders: Hericium erinaceus in chronic atrophic gastritis

Figure 1 Antineoplastic mechanisms of Hericium erinaceus erinacines against gastric cancer. Erinacine S has been shown in cellular models to induce a specific pathway through reactive oxygen species, leading to the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinases (FAK)/protein kinase B, also known as AKT, as well as p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1). This pathway promotes histone H3 trimethylation, facilitating the production of various molecules, including the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and Fas ligand receptors, which trigger the apoptotic cascade mediated by caspases 3, 8, and 9. Similarly, in gastric cancer cell models, erinacine A modulation of the FAK/AKT/PAK1 pathway can regulate two key proteins: Microtubule-associated scaffold protein 2 and the 14-3-3 sigma protein. This modulation negatively influences cell cycle regulation, particularly in the G2 and M phases. ROS: Reactive oxygen species.