- Ergothioneine is a stable, water soluble dietary compound selectively absorbed and retained via OCTN1 transporter, indicating biological accumulation and potential physiological importance.
- Robust evidence links higher ET levels with protection against age related diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders; low blood ET associates with increased disease risk.
- Key research gaps: ET metabolism, omics effects, intracellular and brain transport, cytoprotective mechanisms, microbiome interactions, pathogen effects, and determinants of body ET levels.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2026 Aug 22:101488. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101488. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Ergothioneine (ET) is a chemically-stable, tasteless, odourless, highly water-soluble diet-derived compound that is avidly absorbed and retained by the human body using a selective transporter, organic cation transporter novel 1, OCTN1 (often called the ET transporter, ETT). A substantial and growing body of evidence supports a role for ET in maintaining human health and protecting against age-related diseases, especially neurodegenerative diseases, and multiple studies indicate that low blood/plasma/serum ET levels increase the risk of developing age-related diseases. Despite the growing interest in ET, much fundamental work remains to be done to investigate its metabolism, actions (if any) on the genome, lipidome, metabolome and proteome, intracellular and intercellular transport (especially in the brain), precise mechanisms of cytoprotection, interactions with the microbiome, mycobiome and human pathogens, and identifying the factors that control body ET levels. This narrative review explores these issues and suggests what research needs to be done to improve our understanding of ET biology.
PMID:42632425 | DOI:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101488
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