Ganoderma lucidum, commonly known as lingzhi or reishi, is a polypore mushroom with a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. It contains many active compounds including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and sterols. These compounds have various pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activities. G. lucidum is cultivated and harvested for use in supplements, teas, and other formulations to promote health and longevity. Potential side effects from prolonged use include dryness and sensitivity. It may interact with medications like anticoagulants, antiplatelets, amphetamines, and hypoglycemic agents.

1. Ganoderma lucidum(Red mushroom)
Presented by:- Shailendra shah
Department of pharmaceutical
Science
Nobel college, Pokhara
University

2. INTRODUCTION
Ganoderma lucidum is a polypore mushroom with medicinal properties which
promote natural health.
It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Asian countries over
the past two millennia.
It is known as Lingzhi in China and as Sachitake in Japan.Ganoderma lucidum
has six species in the category of medicinal mushrooms.
These various species of Ganoderma lucidum is estimated to contain more than
200 active elements having specific medicinal properties.

3. Nomenclature
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Polyporales
Family: Ganodermataceae
Genus: Ganoderma
Species: lucidum

4. Habitat
G.lucidum grow in the northern Eastern Hemlockforests.
Worldwide distribution in both tropical and temperate
geographical regions, including North and South America,
Africa, Europe, and Asia, growing as a parasite or saprotroph
on a wide variety of trees.
These are parasitic on living hard woods. These grow alone or
gregariously usually near the base of the tress.

5. Cultivation and collection
Various methods of artifical cultiviation are in practices
such as:
1. Wood log cultivation (the most popular method).
2. Pot or bottle cultivation.
3. Tank cultivation

6. Macroscopical characters
G.lucidium is a polypore mushroom that is soft (when fresh), corky,
and flat, with a conspicuous red-varnished, kidney-shaped cap and,
depending on specimen age, white to dull brown pores underneath.
It lacks gills on its underside and releases its spores through fine
pores, leading to its morphological classification as a polypore.

7. Cap:
2-30 cm, at first irregularly knobby or elongated, but by maturity more or less
fan-shaped with shiny, varnished surface often roughly arranged into lumpy
“zones”; red to reddish brown when mature.
Pore Surface:
Usually bruising brown; with 4-7 tiny circular pores per mm; tubes to 2cm
deep.
Stem:
Sometimes absent, but more commonly present; 3-14 cm long; up to 3 cm
thick; twisted; equal or irregular; varnished and colored like the cap; often
distinctively angled away from one side of the cap.

8. Flesh:
Brownish; fairly soft when young, but soon tough.
Spore Print:
Brown
Microscopic Features
Spores 9-12×5.5-8 µ;more or less elliptical.
Sometimes with a truncated end; appearing smooth at lower
magnifications; under oil immersion appearing double
walled, with a row of “pillars” between the walls ,Setae and
cystidia absent, Hypalsystem dimitic.

9. Chemical constituents(Active Compounds)
The major Phytochemicals present in
the Ganoderma lucidium are,
Polysaccharides: Organic Germanium,
Adenosine, Triterpenoids, Ganoderic
Essence.
Others: Nucleotide, Unsaturated Fatty
Acids, Protein, Vitamins and Minerals,
Ergosterols, Coumarin, Mannitol, Lactones,
Alkaloids

10. Chemical structure of Ganodenic Acid
Molecular formula:-C30H44O7

11. Pharmacological action
Triterpenoids and sterols
 Triterpenes are considered to be potential anti-cancer agents due to activity against growing
tumours.
 They have direct cytotoxicity against tumour cells rather than enhancing the immune system as
do polysaccharides.
 Triterpenes inhibited HIV-1 protease and HIV-2 protease.
 Hepatoprotective mechanisms of ganosporeric acid A from the spores of G. lucidum were
observed.
 Ganomycins A and B, from G. pfeifferi exhibited anti-bacterial activity againstGram-negative
and Gram-positive bacteria.
 Sterols and oxygenatedtriterpenes have been shown to inhibit cholesterol synthesis in vitro.

12.  Polysaccharides
Water soluble polysaccharides extracted from G. Lucidum were effective in preventing
DNA from strand breakage indicating the anti-tumour and immunomodulating activities of
‘‘Lingzhi’’ are strongly related to its anti-oxidative property.
The anti-oxidant property of Ganoderma polysaccharide peptide decreased the
oxidation of low density lipoprotein and exhibited anti-oxidant effect by
scavenging reactive oxygen species in mice.
A proteoglycan having a carbohydrate/protein ratio of 11.5 to 1.
Isolated from G. lucidum, was found to stimulate the proliferation of mouse
spleen lymphocytes, resulting in a three to four fold increase in the
(a) percentage of B cells, (b) secretion of immunoglobulin, (c) production of interleukin-2 and (d)
expression of protein kinase.

13.  Polysaccharides(contd..)
Two protein bound polysaccharides, a neutral protein bound polysaccharide (NPBP) and
an acidic protein bound polysaccharide (APBP), were isolated from water soluble
substances of G. lucidum.
APBP was found to be more potent than NPBP as an antiviral agent against herpes
simplex viruses (HSV).
The antiviral activity of APBP appeared to be related to its binding with HSV-specific
glycoprotein at the cell membrane.
G. lucidum polysaccharides (Gl-PS) have shown a variety of immune modulating effects.
Results confirmed that Gl-PS was a promising biological response modifier and immune
potentiator.

14. Formulations
G. lucidum is a popular medicinal mushroom, and has been used in traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) in Asian countries over the past two millennia.
The regular consumption was believed to preserve human vitality and to promote
longevity.
The fungus has been used for the prevention, or treatment, of numerous diseases
including cancer.
The dried powder is currently used worldwide in the form of dietary supplements.
In the recent days terpenoids and polysaccharides of Ganoderma lucidium are
incorporated in the various formulations of Soap, Tooth paste, Capsules, Soft gel, Coffee,
Cleansing agents, Tea, Spore powder etc.

15. Side effects
Ganoderma lucidum typically does not have any known side
effects, except from prolonged use.
If used for several months, dryness in the upper respiratory system
can occur, causing sensitivity to the nasal blood vessels.
And other known side effects include upset stomach, diarrhea,
constipation, dry mouth, dizziness, nosebleeds, bone pain and skin
irritants.

16. Contradictions
Avoid in patient with known allergies to Reishi mushroom.
Use cautiously in the patients with the diabetes or in those taking
hyperglycemic agents because it may lower the blood sugar levels.
It may precipitate an additive effect on clotting factors and
prothrombintime, so it must be used cautiously in the patients who
are taking anticoagulants or antiplatelets.
It should be avoid in the patients taking amphetamines.

17. References
Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA (2008). Dictionary of the
Fungi (10th ed.). Wallingford: CABI. p. 272. ISBN 0-85199-826-7.
Karsten PA. "Enumeratio Boletinearum et Polyporearum Fennicarum,
systemate novo dispositarum". Revue mycologique, Toulouse (in
Latin). 3 (9): 16–19.
Smith BJ, Sivasithamparam K (2003). "Morphological studies
of Ganoderma (Ganodermataceae) from the Australasian and Pacific
regions". Australian Systematic Botany. 16 (4): 487–503.