Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known representative of mushrooms that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. New discoveries related to this medicinal mushroom and its biological properties are frequently reported. However, only recently have scientists started to pay special attention to G. lucidum spores. This is in part because of the recent development of methods for breaking the spore wall and extracting biocompounds from the spore. Although some research groups are working with G. lucidum spores, data in the literature are still limited, and the methods used have not been systematized. This review therefore describes the main advances in techniques for breaking the spore wall and extracting biocompounds from the spore. In addition, the major active components identified and their biological properties, such as neurological activity and antiaging and cell-protective effects, are investigated because these are of importance for potential drug development.

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In this study, the hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties of Ganoderma lucidum CG 144, a medicinal mushroom cultivated on wet wheat grains by solid-state fermentation, were investigated followed dietary supplementation. Basal chow was supplemented with 85, 50, or 10% of G. lucidum CG 144 dried spawn, resulting in G85, G50, and G10 diets, respectively, and fed to normocholesterolemic and induced-hypercholesterolemic mice. The G85 diet triggered significant loss of body weight compared with the G50 and G10 diets (P \ 0.01). In the normocholesterolemic mice, regular consumption of high concentrations (G85 and G50 diets) of dried spawn led to significant changes in the plasma lipid concentrations (P \ 0.05). Although there were no significant changes in the plasma cholesterol concentrations, the G85 and G50 diets decreased the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by 71 and 98%, respectively, and increased the high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels by 80 and 86%, respectively. Further, the plasma triacylglycerol levels decreased by 32.5 and 42% with the G85 and G50 diets, respectively. The G10 diet did not alter the plasma lipid profile in the normocholesterolemic mice (P [ 0.05) but significantly decreased the cholesterol concentrations (P \ 0.001) in the induced-hypercholesterolemic mice. Peritoneal macrophages from the induced-hypercholesterolemic mice fed the G10 diet produced lower nitric oxide than the controls (P \ 0.05).

This study investigated the effect of Ganoderma lucidum supplementation on lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages from mice. Our results show that G. lucidum in vivo was able to increase interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) concentration but reduced CD3(+) and CD8(+) spleen lymphocytes. Ex vivo, IFN-gamma; and interleukin-10 levels were increased and the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) level was reduced by peritoneal macrophages from mice fed with G. lucidum. In the absence of stimuli nitric oxide production was reduced in mice fed with G. lucidum, and with lipopolysaccharide stimulation nitric oxide production was increased but was lower than control values (P < .05). G. lucidum was grown by solid-state culture in wheat grain, and a chow containing 10% G. lucidum mycelium was formulated (G10). Swiss male mice were divided into two groups, termed G10 and control groups according to the diet, and were fed for 3 months. Peritoneal macrophages were obtained and investigated with regard to phagocytosis, lysosomal volume, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, and cytokines ex vivo. In the plasma we investigated concentrations of cytokines, and in the spleen we determined subsets of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), and CD19(+) lymphocytes.

Medicinal mushrooms are used in popular medicine largely as health promoters, mainly because of their antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. Ganoderma lucidum (lingzhi or reishi) and Agaricus brasiliensis are mushrooms that have long been used for medicinal purposes. This study evaluated their immunomodulatory and antitumor effects on mice fed a diet supplemented with G. lucidum and A. brasiliensis mycelia obtained from solid-state fermentation. For 14 weeks the mice were fed chow containing 50% A. brasiliensis and G. lucidum mycelia, using ground wheat as an excipient. The consumption of the supplemented diet inhibited Sarcoma 180 tumor growth and caused important changes in the immune system. The pattern of immune response shifted, increasing CD4+ and CD8+ and decreasing CD19+ cell populations. The restoration of a proper balance between cellular and humoral immunity is an essential process for restraining tumor growth. These results suggest that polysaccharides, such as β-glucans and other mushroom metabolites, possibly promote the T-cell dominance that is imperative to restrain tumor growth.