Note that this is a compound isolated from chaga mushrooms, not chaga mushrooms themselves.
3,4-dihydroxybenzalacetone protects against Parkinson's disease-related neurotoxin 6-OHDA through Akt/Nrf2/glutathione pathway 2014
3,4-Dihydroxybenzalacetone (DBL) is a small catechol-containing compound isolated from Chaga (Inonotus obliquus [persoon] Pilat), and has been reported to have beneficial bioactivities, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumorigenic activities, with a relatively low toxicity to normal cells. We, therefore, investigated the neuroprotective activity of DBL against the PD-related neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA).
Remember that chaga mushroom has not been approved by the FDA for medical use due to the lack of any clinical research. However, it is available as a supplement. Regulations set manufacturing standards for supplements but don’t guarantee that they’re safe or effective. Speak with your doctor before supplementing with chaga mushroom.
Importantly, keep in mind that its safety profile is unknown because the mushroom has only been tested in animals and cells. The list of side effects below is not a definite one and you should consult your doctor about other potential side effects based on your health condition and possible drug or supplement interactions.
Since chaga may stop platelet aggregation, it should not be taken in combination with blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin and warfarin to prevent the risk of bleeding [36].
Chaga may also lower blood sugar levels. Its combination with diabetes medicine may cause blood glucose levels to fall dangerously low [28].
People with autoimmune diseases should avoid using Chaga because it can cause the immune system to become overactive.
An elderly woman had oxalate nephropathy after daily consuming chaga powder for 6 months due to its high oxalate content. Oxalate nephropathy is a condition where excess oxalate can cause kidney failure [38].
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Remember that chaga mushroom has not been approved by the FDA for medical use due to the lack of any clinical research. However, it is available as a supplement. Regulations set manufacturing standards for supplements but don’t guarantee that they’re safe or effective. Speak with your doctor before supplementing with chaga mushroom.
Importantly, keep in mind that its safety profile is unknown because the mushroom has only been tested in animals and cells. The list of side effects below is not a definite one and you should consult your doctor about other potential side effects based on your health condition and possible drug or supplement interactions.
Since chaga may stop platelet aggregation, it should not be taken in combination with blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin and warfarin to prevent the risk of bleeding [36].
Chaga may also lower blood sugar levels. Its combination with diabetes medicine may cause blood glucose levels to fall dangerously low [28].
People with autoimmune diseases should avoid using Chaga because it can cause the immune system to become overactive.
An elderly woman had oxalate nephropathy after daily consuming chaga powder for 6 months due to its high oxalate content. Oxalate nephropathy is a condition where excess oxalate can cause kidney failure [38].
Antioxidant
Chaga has the strongest antioxidant activity when compared against three other common antioxidant mushrooms [4].
In human lymphocytes, chaga extract reduced DNA damage caused by hydrogen peroxide by over 40% [2].
A compound isolated from chaga protected brain cells from Parkinson’s disease by activating an antioxidant pathway [5].
In mice, chaga extract’s antioxidant activity protected against the effects of chronic inflammation of the pancreas [6].
In test tubes, several phenolic compounds found in chaga mushrooms scavenged free radicals [7].
Immunity Boost
Chaga extract increased the production of IL-6 and lymphocyte B cells in mice. In white blood cells (macrophages), it increased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) and messengers (nitric oxide) [17, 18].
Compounds found in chaga helped the immune system of mice differentiate between the body’s cells and foreign cells, potentially increasing the accuracy of its response and reducing the risk of autoimmunity [15].
Chaga extract also reduced immune hypersensitivity in mice and reduced the risk of shock from severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) [19].
In mice, chaga ethanol extract reduced the levels of IL-4 and increased IFN-y levels by promoting the Th1 response while inhibiting the allergy-promoting Th2 response [20].
Infections
In animal and cell-based studies, it prevented the following viruses from infecting cells and replicating:
HIV [21]
Herpes simplex [22]
Epstein-Barr [23]
Hepatitis C [24]
Both hot water and ethanol extracts of chaga are killed bacterial and fungal cells in cell culture. Chaga extract may also help fight infections by stopping quorum sensing, which is a method that bacterial cells use to activate gene expression [1].
Note, however, that these are very preliminary results that haven’t been replicated in clinical trials and, often, even in animals. Further research is needed to verify if chaga mushroom improves or prevents infections caused by these microorganisms.
Inflammation
Chaga may reduce inflammation by blocking an over-activated immune response [19].
Its extract reduced pro-inflammatory pathways (NF-kB) and messengers (nitric oxide and PGE2) in rats and decreased the response to pain [25].
Chaga also reduced inflammation in mice with IBD by suppressing cytokines (TNF-alpha and IL-1beta) and messengers (nitric oxide) [26].
In mice and cells, chaga extract lowered NF-kappaB binding activity. This may reduce inflammatory pain by blocking the effects of enzymes such as nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In fact, inhibition of COX-2 is the mechanism by which traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or aspirin, reduce pain and swelling [25, 27].
Cognitive Function
Chaga extract reduced cognitive dysfunction in animal studies by reducing oxidative damage caused by a plant toxin (scopolamine) to the brain. The extract also restored the levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that promotes learning and memory, as efficiently as the reference drug tacrine [37].
"Pretreatment of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells with DBL, ... dose-dependently improved the survival of 6-OHDA-treated cells."
This is the poor model of protection - any number of ways pretreatment can protect against toxic insult that are irrelevant to recovery from Parkinson's.
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