Ganoderma lucidum: A Potent Medicinal Mushroom with Numerous Health Benefits

A number of plant based traditional system of medicines have been in use in India and also in many parts of the world for ages. Before the advent of modern medicine, the traditional systems of medicine were playing a central role in healthcare. According to an estimate, majority of the world population, especially in the developing countries, still depend on herbal products for their primary health care needs, possibly for the following reasons:

A number of plant based traditional system of medicines have been in use in India and also in many parts of the world for ages. Before the advent of modern medicine, the traditional systems of medicine were playing a central role in healthcare. According to an estimate, majority of the world population, especially in the developing countries, still depend on herbal products for their primary health care needs, possibly for the following reasons: 1. Lack of easy access to drugs of modern medicine.
2. Popular belief that herbal drugs are free of adverse effects.
3. Most economic as against prohibitive cost of most of the allopathic drugs. 4. Concern over the toxicity and side effects of modern drugs. 5. The holistic approach and belief towards the plant based medicines.
The traditional medicine has been steadily gaining interest and acceptance even amongst the practitioners of modern medicine also [1]. Plants have also been a source of chemical substances which serves as drugs in their own right or as key ingredients in synthetic drugs. Many plants derived drugs used in modern medicine are developed by ethno medical leads and subsequent ethno pharmacological studies. There are more than 100 drugs of known structure that are extracted from higher plants and included in modern medicine [2]. A proper ethno pharmacological search and follow up studies can lead to many more useful drugs. Synthetic studies available on a good number of plants indicate that promising phytochemicals (drugs) can be developed for many health problems. This phytochemical approach of plant discovery emphasizes the development of pure phytochemicals as drugs. The method is expensive and much time consuming [3]. In phytotherapeutic approach, a fraction of an active extract or mixture of such fractions may prove better therapeutically, less toxic and inexpensive compared to pure isolated compounds. However crude plant preparations require modern standards of safety and efficacy.

Common Names
United States : Reishi mushroom (Herbs of Commerce), ganoderma.

China
: Numerous legends surrounding reishi mushroom provide an historical record which spans 2000 years. Traditionally, it was used in China by Taoist monks to promote a centered calmness, improve meditative practices, and attain a long and healthy life. Reishi mushroom has also been revered in Japanese culture where it is considered to be the most important of all the Japanese medicinal polypores [sarunokoshikake] [4]. The characters making up the Chinese name for reishi mushroom [ling zhi] originally depicted a "shaman crying for rain", represent the magical or divine properties which were associated with ling zhi. Reishi mushroom has also been commonly referred to as the "mushroom of immortality", "ten-thousand-year mushroom", "mushroom of spiritual potency", and "spirit plant" [5,6]. Reishi mushroom was listed among the superior tonics [Shang pin] in the most famous of all Chinese material medicas, the Shen Nung Ben Cao Jing (206 BC-AD 8) [4,7]. Superior herbs were among the most highly regarded of all medicines since they were considered to prolong life, prevent aging, boost qi, make the body light and limber, and corresponded to heavy heaven. Reishi mushroom was listed as the most respected out of the 120 superior tonics cited. Specifically, in this text, red reishi was reported to treat binding in the chest, tonify the heart, nourish the center, sharpen the wit, and improve memory. In addition to its physical properties, reishi was said to "cultivate virtue" [8,9].

Work Done on the Phytochemical Profile
Lalitha Kumari and Sirsi [10] partially purified the enzyme laccase from the culture fluid of Ganoderma lucidum by acetone precipitation,

Clinical Trials
Ganoderma lucidum is reported to inhibit platelet aggregation [52,53]; in immunologically compromised subjects, increases T lymphocyte and T helper cells and decreases T suppressor cells; improves immunocompetancy after chemo-and/or radiation therapies [54]. Clinical information about the hepatoprotective action of reishi was reported in one small uncontrolled trial. Four patients with hepatitis B and elevated bilirubin and SGPT/SGOT levels were given 6 g of a reishi extract (concentration undefined) for 3 months. After 1 month, bilirubin, SGPT, and SGOT levels were significantly reduced (P<0.01); after 90 days all values returned to within normal ranges [55]. Noguchi et al. [56] conducted a phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the extract of G. lucidum bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) [56].
of G. lucidum polysaccharides on indomethacin-induced lesions in the rat [35]. Song et al. [36] assessed anti-angiogenic activity of G. lucidum and its inhibitory activity on inducible nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages [36]. Lu et al. [37] established the fact that G. lucidum extracts inhibit growth and induce actin polymerization in bladder cancer cells in vitro [37]. Chien et al. [38] found that polysaccharides of G. lucidum alter cell immunophenotypic expression and enhance CD56+ NK-cell cytotoxicity in cord blood [38]. Liu et al. [39] have proposed a possible mode of action of antiherpetic activities of a proteoglycan isolated from the mycelia of G. lucidum in vitro [39]. Liu et al. [40] studied the anti-androgen effect of ganoderol B isolated from the fruiting body of G. lucidum [40]. Fujita et al. [41] established the anti-androgenic activities of methanol extracts of G. lucidum by performing the 5α-reductase inhibitory activity [41]. Johnston [42] established the mechanism of action of G. lucidum against prostate cancer cells and found out that mushroom cuts off the blood supply to the prostate cancer cells [42]. Muller et al. [43] found out that G. lucidum causes apoptosis in leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma cells. In this study, G. lucidum extract was screened for its anti-proliferative activity using a panel of 26 human cancer cell lines [43]. Lakshmi et al. [44] studied the antimutagenic activity of methanolic extract of G. lucidum and its effect on hepatic damage caused by benzo [a] pyrene [44].  [47] showed that G. lucidum polysaccharides (Gl-PS) have a variety of immune modulating effects. These polysaccharides can modulate of cytokine production, granzyme B and perforin in murine CIK cells [47]. Liu et al. [48] found out that the triterpenoids fraction of G. lucidum might be a useful ingredient in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia [48]. Zhu et al. [49] found out that G. lucidum polysaccharides enhance the function of immunological effector cells in immunosuppressed mice [49]. Li et al. [50] indicated that G. lucidum polysaccharides have potent antioxidant properties in vitro in mitochondrial membranes of rat liver [50]. Ko et al. [51] explored the anti-inflammatory activity of triterpenoids and steroids from G. lucidum [51]. Ganoderma possesses the following pharmacological properties according to an overview of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (2006) [9]. ammonium sulphate fractionation and adsorption on alumina Cγ gel [10]. Kawagishi et al. [11] isolated a lectin (GLL-M) from mycelia of G. lucidum using affinity chromatography on BSM-Toy pearl [11]. Ko et al. [12] purified and characterized laccase isozymes from G. lucidum through anion exchange chromatography, preparative gel electrophoresis, and electroelution [12]. Bao et al. [13] studied the structural features of immunologically active polysaccharides from G. lucidum [13]. Guan et al. [14] carried out the structure elucidation and complete NMR spectral assignments of three new lanostanoid triterpenes with unprecedented δ16, 17 double bond from G. lucidum [14]. Di et al. [15] carried out the fingerprint profiling of acid hydrolyzates of polysaccharides extracted from the fruiting bodies and spores of Lingzhi by high-performance thin-layer chromatography [15]. Gao et al. [16] carried out the quantitative determination of bitter principles in specimens of G. lucidum using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and discussed its application to the evaluation of Ganoderma products [16]. Lim et al. [17] isolated a new inhibitor for peptidylprolylcis-trans isomerase (PPIase) from G. lucidum and purified to homogeneous state by organic solvent extraction. They also purified and characterized a new Cyclophilin Inhibitor from G. lucidum [17]. Mdachi et al. [18] identified sixteen known amino acids in G. lucidum [18]. Yan et al. [19] used the hybrid organic-inorganic monolithic column to separate triterpenoids from G. lucidum by capillary electro-chromatography [19]. Chen et al. [20] isolated Reishi polysaccharides for the study of their effect on cytokine expression in mouse splenocytes [20]. The conditions of polysaccharide production by G. lucidum were optimized by Babitskaya et al. [21]. Tang et al. [22] established that Ganoderic acid T from G. lucidum mycelia induces mitochondria mediated apoptosis in lung cancer cells [22]. Liu et al. [23] studied the structure-activity relationship for inhibition of 5a-reductase by triterpenoids isolated from G. lucidum [23]. Paterson (2006) [24] reviewed the phytochemical profile of Ganoderma and considered it to be a therapeutic fungal biofactory [24]. Wang and Ng (2006) [25] isolated Ganodermin, an antifungal protein from the fruiting bodies of G. lucidum [25]. Zhang et al.  [28] carried out the separation of targeted ganoderic acids from G. lucidum by reversed phase liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detections [28]. Thakur et al. [29] purified and characterized a novel 114 kDa hexamericlectin from the fruiting bodies of G. lucidum [29]. Wang et al. [30] carried out the HPLC determination of four triterpenoids in rat urine after oral administration of total triterpenoids from G. lucidum [30]. Gao et al. [31] developed a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) analytical method for detection of the nucleosides and nucleobases in G. lucidum [31]. Ye et al. [32] carried out the structural elucidation of the polysaccharide moiety of a glycopeptides (GLPCW-II) from G. lucidum fruiting bodies [32].
in men with mild symptoms of

Work Undertaken by Our Group
We carried out phytochemical and pharmacological investigations the basis for the future use of Ganoderma in therapy by measuring the weekly urine output, testosterone levels and prostatic specific antigen levels using testosterone induced hyperplasia model in rats. Petroleum ether extract which remained untouched in the previous studies was included in the study and it came out to be the best inhibitor of prostatic hyperplasia induced by testosterone. Histological studies on the prostate sections also confirmed our findings [57]. It was also found to be a potent 5α-reductase inhibitor on the basis of our studies which is indicative of the mechanism of its action against benign prostatic hyperplasia [57,58]. β-sitosterol was identified in the Ganoderma extracts using TLC and HPTLC studies [57]. As β-sitosterol is a well-known molecule established clinically for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia [59], the presence of β-sitosterol as a major constituent in the extracts further support our observations [57]. Certain studies on the in vitro cytotoxicity activity were also performed using G. lucidum extracts in human cancer cell lines [60].

Pharmacological Activity and Uses
It is considered to be a natural medicine that promotes longevity and maintains the vitality of human beings. Its beneficial clinical effects in patients with hepatitis, hyperglycemia, chronic bronchitis, cancer, muscular dystrophy, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and leukopenia have been confirmed in

Conclusion
Ganoderma lucidum has been widely researched and hence it has been a part of many publications as it is already evident from the literature cited above. Actually this literature constituted a part of literature survey carried by me during my studies on G. lucidum and I still find the compilation of these data worth sharable with the readers and various researchers. On the basis of many such evidences, there are many products in the market which are sold primarily as neutraceuticals. Some of them are marketed as dietary supplements and very widely used by consumers in combination with coffee and tea. Hence further research on Ganoderma for validating its usage is a demand of the present day. on G. lucidum for testing its anti-androgenic activity. We demonstrated pharmacologic studies in recent years. The fruiting bodies, mycelia, and spores have recently received more and more attention not only as home remedies but also as new drug sources [61].