A Complete Analysis of the Chemical Components, Effects and Pharmacological Actions of Reishi Mushroom

Reishi mushroom [Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) Karst] is a fungus of the genus Ganoderma in the class Basidiomycetes. Since ancient times it has been known as the "immortal herb" and "auspicious herb". It is a precious traditional Chinese medicine for strengthening the vital essence and consolidating the constitution, and for nourishing and invigorating the body. It has a long history of medicinal use in our country and extremely high medicinal value, and is regarded as a precious Chinese medicinal material and a treasure in the treasury of traditional Chinese medicine. In the Eastern Han dynasty, the (Shennong Bencao Jing) listed reishi mushroom as a top-grade substance, holding that "taken over a long time, it lightens the body, prevents aging, and prolongs life like an immortal." Modern medicine has proven that reishi mushroom contains a variety of physiologically active substances and can regulate and enhance human immunity. The latest research shows that reishi mushroom also has effects such as relieving fatigue, beautifying the face and nourishing the skin, delaying aging, and preventing and treating AIDS. The 2000 edition of the (Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China) includes the fruiting bodies of reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma sinense) as a statutory Chinese medicinal material. At present, the international medical and pharmaceutical circles also attach great importance to the research and development of reishi mushroom. The (American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium), published in the United States in 2000, includes reishi mushroom. To date, that book has included a total of 10 Chinese medicines or herbal medicines, and reishi mushroom is one of them.

1 Chemical Components and Their Effects

To date, scientific researchers have isolated nearly 200 compounds from reishi mushroom, and laboratory and clinical studies have respectively revealed that these compounds are the pharmacologically active ingredients through which this ancient and precious Chinese medicine prevents and treats disease. Developed countries such as Japan and the United States have also successively carried out research, development and clinical verification of reishi mushroom. The world medical community has already universally recognized the biological, physicochemical and medical effects of reishi mushroom.

1.1 Trace Elements The fruiting body of reishi mushroom contains a variety of trace elements, including manganese, magnesium, calcium, copper, germanium, strontium, zinc, iron, beryllium, boron, chromium, nickel, vanadium, titanium and so on. Reishi mushroom has a relatively strong ability to accumulate germanium; the content of organic germanium is 4 to 6 times that of ginseng and 100 times that of goji berry. Organic germanium can keep the blood circulation smooth, increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells, delay aging, and can combine with pollutants and heavy metals in the body to form germanium compounds that are excreted from the body. It also has the function of adjusting abnormal electrical potentials in the human body and inhibiting the worsening of pathological conditions.

1.2 Reishi Polysaccharides Reishi polysaccharides are one of the effective components in reishi mushroom and are the main components in reishi mushroom for improving the body's immune function and consolidating the constitution. Many of the pharmacological activities of reishi mushroom are mostly related to reishi polysaccharides, and more than 200 kinds have been isolated so far. It is now known that reishi polysaccharides have a wide range of pharmacological activities: they can improve the body's immunity and the body's hypoxia tolerance, eliminate free radicals, inhibit tumors, provide anti-radiation effects, improve the ability of the liver, bone marrow and blood to synthesize DNA, RNA and proteins, and prolong life, among others.

1.3 Triterpenoid Compounds Triterpenoid compounds are one of the main chemical components of reishi mushroom. To date, 103 new triterpenoid chemical components have been successively isolated from the fruiting bodies and spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum. Prominent ones include ganoderol, ganoderal and ganoderic acid, among which more than 100 kinds of ganoderic acid have been isolated so far. Ganoderic acid has strong pharmacological activity: it relieves pain, sedates, detoxifies, protects the liver, kills tumor cells, inhibits the release of histamine from cells and tissues, improves the function of the digestive organs, and lowers blood cholesterol, triglycerides and beta-lipoprotein, thereby inhibiting platelet aggregation, helping blood flow, eliminating blood clots, promoting blood circulation, regulating blood vessel pressure and increasing metabolism, so that the body reaches a balanced and healthy state. Japan attaches great importance to the content of ganoderic acid in commercial reishi products, especially the content of ganoderic acids A, B, C and D. They believe that the higher the ganoderic acid content, the better the quality of the reishi product.

1.4 Nucleosides Nucleoside substances are a class of water-soluble components with a wide range of physiological activities. Yu Jingguang and others isolated 5 kinds of nucleoside chemical components from the mycelium of Ganoderma capense, among which ganoderine is a new compound. Shimiz and others also obtained 4 kinds of nucleoside compounds from the fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum. Studies have shown that these substances can inhibit excessive platelet aggregation and reduce blood viscosity, thereby improving human blood circulation. For elderly people with thick blood or a tendency to blood stasis, they have a good anticoagulant effect and can prevent the occurrence of thrombotic diseases such as cerebral thrombosis and myocardial infarction.

1.5 Sterols The sterols in reishi mushroom are active substances extracted from the fat-soluble isolate of reishi mushroom, and their content is relatively high; the content of ergosterol alone reaches about 3 per mille. It is known that nearly 20 kinds of sterols have been isolated from reishi mushroom. These fatty acids can significantly inhibit the uptake of 45Ca by mast cells and the release of histamine induced by A23187, and have a membrane-stabilizing effect, thereby achieving an anti-allergic effect.

1.6 Alkaloids The alkaloid content in reishi mushroom is relatively low, but some have important physiological activities. Clinically, betaine and N-amidinoglycine are used together to treat myasthenia; they have the effects of improving coronary blood flow, reducing myocardial oxygen consumption, enhancing the tolerance of the myocardium and the body to hypoxia, and lowering cholesterol, and have certain therapeutic effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hepatitis and myasthenia. They have a strong effect on the cardiovascular system, can increase coronary blood flow, improve the myocardium's ability to resist hypoxia, and can reduce the oxygen consumption of the whole animal. These compounds provide a solid and reliable material basis for the preventive and therapeutic effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. In addition, they have protective and activating effects on cells damaged by ischemia and other causes.

1.7 Furan Derivatives The furan derivatives in reishi mushroom were obtained by silica gel column chromatography from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of the ethanol extract of fermented Ganoderma capense mycelium; no reports of physiological activity have been seen.