Coprino Extract

Coprino (Coprinus comatus) is a variety of edible white mushroom colloquially known as “shaggy mane” or “lawyer’s wig” renowned for its ergothioneine content. Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring amino acid with strong antioxidant activity that has fascinated the health and beauty industry. Known to be common in fungi, researchers at Japan’s Hokkaido University evaluated ergothioneine (EGT) content in a variety of mushroom species. It was found that Coprino mushrooms had more than 5 times the amount of ergothioneine as any other species. EGT is documented to be a superoxide scavenger outperforming almost any other antioxidant. Additional studies have shown Coprino Extract to be preventative against photoageing (skin damage). In vitro experiments indicate that Coprino Extract inhibits melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity respectively suggesting the extract possesses skin whitening properties