Pharmaceutical mushrooms: Ganoderma lucidum

Abstract

This review is about Ganoderma lucidum, a very important representative of pharmaceutical mushrooms and focuses on its biological activities and therapeutic applications, that have given rise to strong scientific and commercial interest in recent years. This mushroom has been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for more than 2000 years and its presence in ancient scripts and various forms of art reflects its significant pharmacological and nutritional value. Ganoderma lucidum contains a wide variety of bioactive components, such as polysaccharides, triterpenes, proteins, fatty acids etc., however, its bioactivity is mainly attributed to polysaccharides and triterpenes. The medicinal and pharmacological activities of the mushroom have been well investigated, using various in vivo and in vitro models, as well as clinical trials. The most important of these activities are: anticancer, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, anti-hypercholisterolemic, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiandrogenic/ estrogenic. Furthermore, the development of G. lucidum monograph in the European Pharmacopoeia, which is already in progress, confirms the pharmaceutical importance of the mushroom in Europe. Finally, its use as biofunctional food, food supplement and cosmetic is popular around the world. However, a number of challenges, such as pharmaceutical interactions and quality standards, needs to be tackled, to ensure that G. lucidum reaches the top of its financial and therapeutic potential. © 2020, Zita Medical Managent. All rights reserved.