Reishi

Natural History

(Ecology, Where and How it Grows)

Ganoderma lucidum is white-rot polypore fungus that has a distinctive large, glossy, dark-red-to-brown laccate basidiocarp, typically in the shape of a bracket, shelf, or “conk,” with a cream-colored underside and leading edge where growth is occurring. Recent genetic and biogeographic studies have shown G. lucidum has a range that is likely restricted to temperate parts of western Europe, but can also be found in parts of Siberia and northwestern China. The full biogeographic distribution of this species is still not known, and there will have to be further studies to confirm that it really is constrained to its current known range.[28] It is typically found growing on the bases and stumps of many different species of deciduous trees, such as maple, elm, willow, sweetgum, magnolia, locust, and oak.[11] Occasionally G. lucidum appears growing on coniferous trees, although this is likely the very closely related species G. tsugae or G. oregonense. In fact, there are many species in the genus Ganoderma, and any “Reishi” encountered in the wild could easily be any one of them, and not the true G. lucidum.

Ethnomycology

(The Cultural and Sociological Impact of this Species)

G. lucidum has been used traditionally as medicine in China and Japan for at least 4000 years.[34] Reishi has been widely depicted in art throughout China, Japan, and Korea, appearing on tapestries, statues, paintings, and even temple walls.[40]  Much of the imagery started to become prolific in the 1400s CE, likely due to its strong association with Taoism.[26] Interesting examples include the scepter wielded by the Emperor of China, and Reishi’s depiction on the archways and railways of The Forbidden City and The Summer Palace, as well as a depiction appearing on a Mongolian grave dating to the first century.[40] The Ling Zhi was seen as a great gift in China up until the 1950s, and was presented to Chinese leaders and high ranking officials.[53]

QUICK FACTS

View Verdant Leaf’s Reishi mushroom products for the whole family.

Health Benefits

Depression & Mood

IMMUNITY

Polysaccharides present within Reishi, aka Ganoderma lucidum, exhibit immune system modulatory effects by activating the expression of cytokines associated with inflammatory response, such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α.[4]

G. lucidum has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects upon active constituents of different cells, including: macrophages, NK cells, mast cells, B-cells, T lymphocytes, and B lymphocytes. 

It has been dubbed an “efficient T cells activator” due to its ability to “induce the production of numerous cytokines… including Interleukin-10 (IL-10), Interleukin-1b, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a and Interleukin-2 (IL-2)” in the “peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cells of human (primarily T cells) in an in vitro study.”

It has also been reported that the β-D-glucans in G. lucidum can “lead to change in the activities of macrophages, T-helper cells, NK cells, and other effector cells using lymphocyte surfaces through specific receptors or serum specific proteins.”[3]

A 12-week supplementation study of a commercially available G. lucidum pill, Ganapoly, was conducted on 34 patients with advanced stage cancer. 80% of those patients demonstrated “cellular immunological enhancements, including IL-2, IL-6, and IFN-γ secretion in plasma and NK cell activity.”[60]

LIVER DETOXIFICATION

In a 2013 study, mice were pretreated with the G. lucidum spore, receiving either low (0.1/kg), medium (0.5/kg), or high doses (1.0 g/kg) for a period of 7 days. Mice then received a hepatotoxic dose of heavy metal cadmium+2 Cd(II) of 3.7 mg/kg. Evaluated 8 hours later, the G. lucidum spore was shown to protect against “Cd(II)-induced liver injury in a dose-dependent manner.” G. lucidum decreased oxidative damage to the liver, decreased the presence of cadmium in nuclei, mitochondria, and microsomes, and induced metallothionein, a protein that helps detoxify the liver of metals.[14]

Antioxidants: Free-Radical scavengers

oxidative stress & chronic inflammation

Oxidative stress damages cell membranes, proteins, DNA, and sets the stage for chronic inflammation. 

Caused by an imbalance between the accumulation of “free radicals” i.e. reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and the body’s ability to detoxify itself of them, oxidative stress sets in when free radicals have not been stopped by adequate antioxidant defenses.

blood glucose

High blood sugar levels produce more reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). An accumulation of these “free radicals” can lead to oxidative stress. G. lucidum has demonstrated that it reduces “the oxidative stress of mitochondria” by “inhibiting glutathione peroxidase activity (GPx),” as well as the “activity and nitration of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD),” and reduction of “phosphorylation of redox enzyme p66Shc.” Its polysaccharides have also been shown to significantly down-regulate iNOS, and nitric oxide synthase, thus demonstrating its ability to reduce glucose toxicity, a condition which negatively affects the body’s tissues and organs.[55]

In 2019, a study on G. lucidum and its potential effects on diabetes found that rats with type 2 diabetes (acquired via a high-fat diet and β‐cell toxin Streptozotocin) which received a combination of G. lucidum inulin and polysaccharides showed an increase of insulin sensitivity, as well as normalized food intake and significantly improved body weight via an increase in carbohydrate utilization ability. A reduction in glycogen content was also observed.[56]

cancer

Triterpenoids are the compounds that are responsible for the majority of G. lucidum’s anti-cancer and cancer prevention properties. In vitro screening of anti-cancer effects using a set of 26 human cancer cell lines revealed that hematological cell lines are highly sensitive to G. lucidum extracts containing triterpenoids. An in vivo study should be done to shed light on the mechanism of the cancer-selective action. Cell cycle arrest, which occurs during checkpoints between phases in the cell cycle to halt the proliferation of cancerous or otherwise damaged cells, and apoptosis (pre-programmed cell death), were also induced with treatments of the same extracts.[57] 

In mice given food-borne carcinogens and inflammation-induced cancer, G. lucidum extracts enriched with triterpenoids prevented colon carcinogenesis by inhibiting inflammation and suppressing focal hyperplasia and aberrant crypt foci formation. Aberrant crypt foci form before colorectal polyps and are one of the earliest warning signs for colon cancer.[57] 

A study in which mice were implanted with Lewis lung carcinoma, triterpenoid-enriched G. lucidum extract was shown to inhibit primary tumor growth in the spleen and liver metastasis and metastatic tumor growth.[57] 

The anti-angiogenic (meaning it inhibits the growth of blood vessels) effects of G. lucidum have been proven through the use of a chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay.[56] The chorioallantoic membrane is a highly vascular membrane within the eggs of amniotic organisms such as birds and reptiles and is homologous to the placenta in mammals.

In a 2009 study, two different extracts were prepared, one containing total terpenoids (ganoderotriols, ganoderic acids, and terpenoid derivatives) and the other only containing acidic terpenoids (ganoderotriols and trace amounts of ganoderic acids). Both were tested in vitro and in vivo on mice. The extract containing total terpenoids had a higher efficacy than the extract containing only acidic terpenoids. 

At the end of the observation period, mice treated with total terpenoids had an average tumor volume that was 14 times lower than that found in the control group. Total terpenoids were also shown to inhibit fibrosarcoma and astrocytoma in mice via an inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptotic cell death.[47]

In the aforementioned study it was demonstrated for the first time that the antitumor effects of G. lucidum are, at least partly, mediated by oxidative stress. This is despite the fact that several other studies have shown that Reishi possesses antioxidative properties. This is likely so because of there only being terpenoids present in the extracts used in this study, and hence there was a lack of the polysaccharides, diazepeptides, amino-polysaccharides, and sterols which have demonstrated antioxidative effects.[47]

Heart Health | Cardiovascular

In a 2016 study on mice, G. lucidum spore oil was found to have a “potential cardioprotective role” as demonstrated in RNA, which showed “reduced expression of genes associated with heart failure, including a novel circular RNA, circ-Foxo3.”[58] Cardioprotective substances support the heart and coronary arteries and work to protect them from injury, disease, or malfunction.  

Cardioprotective antioxidant properties of Reishi include its “propensity to elevate glutathione (GSH), a cofactor for antioxidant enzymes... glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD).[3]  

In a clinical trial of patients in the primary stage of hypertension, G. lucidum showed significant results at lowering blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and blood cholesterol (a waxy-like substance made by the liver). 

In a double-blind, randomized, multicentered study, extracted G. lucidum polysaccharide fractions showed improved ECG and a reduction in chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath.

In a study conducted on rats, Reishi extract reduced blood lipid levels and prevented the onset of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in arteries.

Fatigue Fighting

Fatigue is defined as a mental and/or physical exhaustion caused by overwork, overexertion, exercise, or lack of sleep. It may also be a symptom of depression, illness, or anxiety.[14] Weariness, exhaustion, lack of motivation, lethargy, as well as physical weakness are all signs of fatigue.

Published in 2017, a lengthy review of the literature on the antifatigue functions and mechanisms of edible and medicinal mushrooms cites G. lucidum as beneficial for reducing fatigue in a number of ways. 

Firstly, Reishi reduces fatigue by enhancing “energy metabolism from carbohydrate and fat.” 

Secondly, G. lucidum was shown to “inhibit the accumulation of blood lactic acid” and “accelerate lactic acid clearance.” Lactic acid buildup is created during intense exercise or a demand of physical exertion, which suggests G. lucidum may also be helpful for supporting exercise and increasing endurance.

Lastly, adenosine, a nucleoside (building block of RNA) found in G. lucidum, has been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation, or the clumping of platelets in blood. This activity “may help to enhance blood circulation and mitigate fatigue.”[14]

nutritional information

Nutritional values were derived from Khatian and Aslam (2018) and Sheikha (2022).

Medicinal Compounds

(Beta-Glucans, Phenols, etcetera)

Over 300 bioactive compounds have been isolated or detected from the fruiting body, spores, and mycelia of G. lucidum. The main bioactive molecules from G. lucidum are triterpenoids, polysaccharides, nucleotides, fatty acids, glycoproteins, sterols, steroids, proteins or peptides, and other trace elements.[51]  

Over 200 polysaccharides have been isolated from Reishi.[48]

Triterpenoids present in G. lucidum are responsible for its bitter taste. The chemical structure of the triterpenes is based on lanostane, a metabolite of lanosterol, the biosynthesis of which is based on the cyclization of squalene.

The first triterpenes isolated from G. lucidum are the ganoderic acids A and B, which were identified by Kubota et al in 1982.[22] Since then, more than 130 triterpenes with known chemical compositions and molecular configurations have been reported to occur in G. lucidum.[48] Among them, more than 50 were found to be new and unique to this fungus. The vast majority are ganoderic and lucidenic acids, but other triterpenes such as ganoderals, ganoderiols, and ganodermic acids have also been identified.[51]

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