Medicinal mushrooms are a rich source of pharmacologically active compounds. As one of the mushrooms commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, Ganoderma lucidum is also an important source of bioactive compounds such as: polysaccharides, triterpenes, proteins, steroids, nucleotides, glycoproteins, peptides, sterols, fatty acids, and trace elements. Polysaccharides obtained from Ganoderma lucidum show a wide range of pharmacological antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-neurodegenerative, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antibacterial properties

Researchers reviewed an extensive literature to comprehensively summarize the antioxidant (protecting tissues from toxic effects of reactive oxygen species and also helping to maintain the body’s oxidative state) (as shown in the figure below), immunomodulatory (related to their effects on effector cells), antidiabetic, and anti-neurodegenerative effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP).

The results of the study suggest that the GLP may be useful in the routine treatment of many diseases due to their pharmacological properties. And an in-depth study of the mechanism of action of GLP could lead to the development of effective chemopreventive agents of natural origin.

Seweryn, E., Ziała, A., & Gamian, A. (2021). Health-promoting of polysaccharides extracted from Ganoderma lucidum. Nutrients, 13(8), 2725. [Link]