Ganoderma
lucidum (Leys. ex Fr.) Karst; Ling-zhi;
Reishi.
This mushroom was the most rare
and valuable herb in Chinese medicine, it is known in China for
over 4,000 years as Ling zhi. It was considered among the most
powerful natural healing herbs in Orient, it was very rare and
expensive to obtain until recent development of high density
cultivation technique. Ganoderma lucidum, (ling
zhi, Reishi) is rich in organic compounds such as polysaccharide,
amino acid, triterpines, ascorbic acid, sterols, lipids,
alkaloids, and trace minerals. These compounds are being studied
for their effect on the immune system.
Dennert and Tucker, 1973; Hirai et
al., 1993 Xiao et al., 1993 reported that Ganoderma lucidum
(Gl), a Chinese herb, could promote longevity and maintain
vitality. G.l. also influenced the immune status of hemophiliacs
with positive HIV antibody, and reversed helper suppressor
T-lymphocyte ratio.
Effects of Ganoderma Lucidum
and Krestin (PSK) on Cellular Immunocompetence in
r-ray-irradiated Mice. The effects of Ganoderma lucidum (GI) and
Krestin(PSK) extracts on cellular immunocompetence, leukocyte
counts and differential count in r-irradiated mice were
investigated in the study. ICR train male mice were used and
randomly divided into five groups. Group A is normal control.
Group B, the experimental control, was treated with GL. Group C,
the radiation treatment control, was treat with whole body
exposure to 4 Gy r-irradiation (RT). Group D. was treated wit RT
and Gl. Group E was treated with RT and PSK. The dosage of Gl was
400 mg/day/kg body weight and PSK was 500 mg/day/kg body weight. Cellular immunocompetence was measured by means of
3H-thymidine incorporation with splenic cells stimulated through
mitogens such as PHA. Con A and LPS. The results revealed that
relative splenic weight in Group D and E. were higher than group
C on day 28 after r-irradiation, Group D was the highest in all
the experimental groups. Leukocyte counts were decreased
significantly in Groups D and E. on day 7. Gl administration
showed an increase in the leukocyte count in Group D on day 28.
The blastogenic response of splenocytes to PHA and Con A in
groups D and E were higher than in Group C on day 7 and 28. We
suggested that Gl and PSK were effective in enhancing the
recovery of cellular immunocompetence from r-irradiation. Wang-chi Chen, Dou-mong Hau, and Shiuh-Sheng Lee,
Institute of Radiation Biology, National Tsing Hua University,
Hsin Chu, Taiwan, American Journal of Chinese Medicine, Vol.
XXIII, No. 1, pp 71-80.
Antifibrotic effects of a
polysaccharide extracted from Ganoderma lucidum,
glycyrrhizin, and pentoxifylline in rats with cirrhosis induced
by biliary obstruction., For the past few years, we have been
investigating polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum
as antifibrotic agents. In a previous study, we discovered that
polysaccharides extracted from G. lucidum lowered the collagen
content in liver but had no effect on serum biochemical
parameters in rats subjected to bile duct ligation and
scission-induced fibrosis. In this study, we changed the
extraction method and obtained polysaccharides extracted from G. lucidum. The polysaccharide from G. lucidum reduced the serum
aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT),
alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin and also reduced
the collagen content in liver and improved the morphology.
Pentoxifylline, which is reported to exhibit an antifibrotic
effect in pigs with fibrosis induced by yellow phosphorus, did
not have any antifibrotic effects in fibrosis induced by biliary
obstruction. Glycyrrhizin, which is used in the treatment of
hepatitis, reduced serum ALT and AST values but there was no
significance. It had no effect on liver hydroxyproline content
which implies that glycyrrhizin has no antifibrotic effect in the
rats with fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation and scission.
These data suggest that the polysaccharide from Ganoderma lucidum
could be a promising antifibrotic agent. However, further study
is needed to understand the inhibition mechanism of collagen
deposition of polysaccharides from Ganoderma Iucidum and
its clinical applicability remains to be established. ,Park EJ; Ko G; Kim J; Sohn DH , College of Pharmacy,
Medicinal Resources Research Center, Wonkwang University, Iksan,
Geonbuk, Korea. , Biol Pharm Bull, 20(4):417-20 1997 Apr .
Differentiation and grouping of
isolates of the Ganoderma lucidum complex by random
amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR compared with grouping on the basis
of internal transcribed spacer sequences., Laccate polypores of
the Ganoderma lucidum species complex are
widespread white rot fungi of economic importance, but isolates
cannot be identified by traditional taxonomic methods. Parsimony
analysis of nucleotide sequences from the internal transcribed
spacers (ITS) of the ribosomal gene (rDNA) distinguished six
lineages in this species complex. Each ITS lineage may represent
one or more putative species. While some isolates have identical
ITS sequences, all of them could be clearly differentiated by
genetic fingerprinting using random amplified polymorphic DNA
(RAPD). To investigate the suitability of RAPD markers for
taxonomic identification and grouping of isolates of the G. lucidum
complex, RAPD fragments (RAPDs) were used as phenotypic
characters in numerical and parsimony analyses. Results show that
data from RAPDS do not distinguish the same clades as ITS data
do. Groupings based on analysis of RAPD data were very sensitive
to the choice of the grouping method used, and no consistent
grouping of isolates could be proposed. However, analysis with
RAPDs did resolve several robust terminal clades containing
putatively conspecific isolates, suggesting that RAPDs might be
helpful for systematics at the lower taxonomic levels that are
unresolved by ITS sequence data. The limitations of RAPDs for
systematics are briefly discussed. The conclusion of this study
is that ITS sequences can be used to identify isolates of the G. lucidum
complex, whereas RAPDs can be used to differentiate between
isolates having identical ITS sequences. The practical
implications of these results are briefly illustrated., Hseu RS; Wang HH; Wang HF; Moncalvo JM , Department
of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei,
Republic of China., Appl Environ Microbiol, 62(4):1354-63 1996
Apr
The anti-tumor effect of Ganoderma
lucidum is mediated by cytokines released from activated
macrophages and T lymphocytes., The present study was to
ascertain the immunomodulating and anti-tumor effects of Ganoderma
(G.) lucidum. Polysaccharides (PS) from fresh fruiting
bodies of G. lucidum (PS-G) were isolated and used to
potentiate cytokine production by human monocytes-macrophages and
T lymphocytes. Our results had shown that the levels of
interleukin (IL)-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha, and
IL-6 in macrophage cultures treated with PS-G (100 micrograms/ml)
were 5.1-, 9.8- and 29-fold higher, respectively, than those of
untreated controls. In addition, the release of interferon (IFN)-
gamma from T lymphocytes was also greatly promoted in the
presence of PS-G (25-100 micrograms/ml). Furthermore, these
cytokine-containing mononuclear cell-conditioned media
(PSG-MNC-CM) were found to suppress the proliferation and
clonogenicity of both the HL-60 and the U937 leukemic cell lines.
DNA labeling and gel electrophoresis showed that treatment with
PSG-MNC-CM markedly induced leukemic-cell apoptosis.
Flow-cytometric analysis revealed that few (2.3 +/- 0.8%)
apoptotic cells were seen in the control cultures, while
PSG-MNC-CM treatment resulted in a significant increase in the
apoptotic population both in the HL-60 (38.3 +/- 4.5%) and in the
U937 (44.5 +/- 3.8%) cells. In addition, 40 to 45% of the treated
leukemic cells were triggered to differentiate into mature
monocytic cells expressing CD14 and CD68 surface antigens.
However, PS-G alone had no such effects even at a higher dose of
400 micrograms/ml. Since untreated macrophages and T lymphocytes
produced little or no cytokine, and normal MNC-CM did not
suppress leukemic cell growth, it was suggestive that the
anti-tumor activity of PSG-MNC-CM was derived from the elevated
levels of cytokines. Antibody-neutralization studies further
revealed that the anti-tumor cytokines in the PSG-MNC-CM were
mainly of TNF- alpha and IFN- gamma, and these 2 cytokines acted
synergistically on the inhibition of leukemic-cell growth., Wang SY; Hsu ML; Hsu HC; Tzeng CH; Lee SS; Shiao MS;
Ho CK ,Department of Medical Research, Veterans General
Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China., Int J Cancer,
70(6):699-705 1997 Mar 17
Production of carpophores of
Lentinus edodes and Ganoderma lucidum grown on cork
residues. , Cork, being widely used in industry, generates high
amounts of waste of difficult elimination because of its complex
biological degradation, and the high pollutant smokes from its
burning. Similarities between suberin (major component of cork)
and lignin suggest that fungi with high lignin degrading capacity
could colonize cork residues. Basidiomycetes such as Lentinus
edodes and Ganoderma lucidum, besides their
capacity for degrading, are edible. Thus, while using them to
degrade cork, it is also possible to obtain a food product. In
this study, dry matter was reduced 40%, suberin was degraded 45%,
oxidizable carbon was increased 35%, and Lentinus showed a high
rate of growth. These results indicate that there is an
environmental alternative to the elimination of residues from the
cork industry, Riu H; Roig G; Sancho J
, Departament d'IndŽustries Agroaliment`aries, Escola Superior
d'Agricultura de Barcelona, Universitat Polit`ecnica de
Catalunya, Espa~na. , Microbiologia, 13(2):185-92 1997 Jun
Suppressive effects of Ganoderma
lucidum on proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear
cells. , The basidiocarps of Ganoderma lucidum have
been used for prevention and treatment of various diseases in the
Orient. Methanolic extracts of this mushroom were applied to
human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) culture systems in
the presence of various immunostimulating or immunosuppressive
agents. Phytohemagglutinin-induced cell proliferation was reduced
to 14% of that of the control by a GLE fraction that is the
neutral component of the methanolic extracts of the carpophores.
12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced cell
proliferation was inhibited by the fractions of GLA, GLC, GLE and
GLG. However none of these fractions inhibited proliferation of
the PBMCs stimulated with TPA plus ionomycin (IM). Treatment of
the PBMCs with cyclosporin A (CsA) led to blockage of the cell
proliferation to 9% of that of the control. When the cells were
cultured with the methanolic fractions in the presence of CsA,
concentration dependent inhibition of the cell proliferation was
observed by the addition of GLE and GLG fractions. On the
contrary, the GLH fraction recovered the CsA induced inhibition
of the cell proliferation. Taken together, among the methanolic
fractions, GLE showed the highest inhibitory activity. This
fraction might inhibit the protein kinase C signal pathway and
accelerate the CsA signal pathway. ,Kim
RS; Kim HW; Kim BK , Department of Microbial Chemistry, College
of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Korea. , Mol Cells,
7(1):52-7 1997 Feb 28 .
Effects of Ganoderma lucidum
and krestin on subset T-cell in spleen of gamma-irradiated mice.,
Effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Gl) and Krestin (PSK)
extracts on spleen, thymus and splenocytes in gamma-irradiated
mice were investigated in this study. ICR strain male mice were
divided into five groups. Group A was the normal control. Group
B, the experimental control, was treated with Gl. Group C, the
radiation treatment control, was treated with whole body exposure
to 4 Gy gamma-irradiation (RT). Group D was treated with RT and
Gl. Group E was treated with RT and PSK. The dosage of Gl was 400
mg/day/kg body weight and PSK was 500 mg/day/kg body weight. Our
results indicated that the relative thymus weight in groups D and
E were higher than group C on day 28 after gamma-irradiation.
Group D was the highest in all the experimental groups. CD4 and
CD8 splenocytes in group D were higher than group C on days 7 and
28. Gl was better than PSK in repairing the damage of subset
T-cells in the spleen of gamma-irradiated mice. ,Chen WC; Hau DM; Wang CC; Lin IH; Lee SS , Institute
of Radiation Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu,
Taiwan. , Am J Chin Med, 23(3-4):289-98 1995
Natural inhibitors for protein
prenyltransferase., Farnesyl protein transferase (FPT) catalyzes
the posttranslational farnesylation of the cysteine residue
located in the carboxyl-terminal tetrapeptide of the Ras
oncoprotein. Prenylation of this residue is essential for
membrane association and cell transforming activities of Ras.
Inhibitors of FPT have been demonstrated to inhibit Ras-dependent
cell transformation and thus represent a potential therapeutic
strategy for the treatment of human cancers (1). In the present
study, the inhibitory principles for protein prenyltransferases
were isolated and identified from Ganoderma lucidum
and garlic. The inhibitors from Ganoderma lucidum
were identified as ganoderic acid A and ganoderic acid C by
comparison with the reported spectral data. Ganoderic acid A has
an IC50 value of 100 microM against FPT and its methyl ester
(methyl ganoderate A) has an IC50 value of 38 microM for the same
enzyme. These inhibitors appear to be competitive with farnesyl
pyrophosphate (FPP), and Ki values of ganoderic acid A and methyl
ganoderate A are 54 microM and 20 microM, respectively. The
inhibitors from garlic were identified as diallyl thiosulfinate
(allicin), methyl allyl thiosulfinate, and allyl methyl
thiosulfinate. These inhibitors are more effective against
geranylgeranyl protein transferase (GGPT) than FPT and IC50
values of allicin, methyl allyl thiosulfinate, and allyl methyl
thiosulfinate for GGPT were 43 microM, 57 microM, and 53 microM,
respectively. Methyl allyl thiosulfinate appears to be
competitive with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) and its Ki
was determined to be 15 microM. The molecular structures of
triterpenes and thiosulfinates are expected to be useful in
designing lead compounds for new potent antitumour agents. ,Lee S; Park S; Oh JW; Yang C , Department of
Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National
University, Republic of Korea. , Planta Med, 64(4):303-8 1998 May
Trial of a new medium-term model
using benzo(a)pyrene induced lung tumor in newborn mice., A new
medium-term in vivo model was tried using pulmonary adenoma
induced by benzo(a)pyrene (BP) in newborn mice. Both inbred mice
such as C57BL/5J, C57BR/cdJ. A/J mice and non inbred N:GP(S) mice
were used. Benzo(a)pyrene was injected in the subscapular region
of newborn mice within 24 hours after birth at a dose of 0.5 mg
and 1 mg per mouse, respectively. After 9 weeks lung tumor
induced in N:GP(S) and A/J mice but in the other mice. The dose
showing a 50% tumor incidence was found in N:GP(S) mice to be 0.5
mg of BP but the tumor incidence was very high in A/J mice even
at 40 micrograms of BP, the lowest dose in this experiment. To
verify the utility of this model, ascorbic acid, carrot, beta
carotene, soybean lecithin, spinach, Sesamum indicum, Ganoderma lucidum,
caffeine, red ginseng extract, fresh ginseng and 13-cis retinoic
acid, some of which are known to have anticarcinogenic activity
in various animal models, were tried with this system. Ascorbic
acid, soybean lecithin, Ganoderma lucidum, caffeine
and red ginseng extract showed inhibition of lung tumor
incidence, while fresh ginseng, carrot, beta carotene, spinach
and 13-cis retinoic acid did not. This result suggested that the
9-week medium-term model using lung tumor induced by 0.5 mg of BP
was useful for the screening of cancer preventive agents. ,Yun TK; Kim SH; Lee YS , Laboratory of Cancer
Pathology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul. , Anticancer Res,
15(3):839-45 1995 May-Jun
Radical scavenger and
antihepatotoxic activity of Ganoderma formosanum,
Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma neo-japonicum.
The free radical scavenging and antihepatotoxic activity from Ganoderma
lucidum, Ganoderma formosanum and Ganoderma
neo-japonicum were studied. Treatment with the water extract of Ganoderma
lucidum, Ganoderma formosanum and Ganoderma
neo-japonicum caused a marked decrease in the CCl4-induced
toxicity in rat liver, made evident by their effect on the levels
of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and lactic
dehydrogenase (LDH) in the serum. The scavenging potency of the
water extracts of the crude drugs was evaluated in terms of their
ability to reduce the peaks of spin adducts using electron spin
resonance (ESR) spin-trapping techniques. The results indicated
that Ganoderma formosanum showed the greatest
antihepatotoxic activity and the greatest free radical scavenging
activity. ,Lin JM; Lin CC; Chen MF; Ujiie T; Takada A ,Graduate
Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan, R.O.C. , J
Ethnopharmacol, 47(1):33-41 1995 Jun 23
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