Abstract
Background: Extracted from mushrooms, β-glucan polysaccharides have attracted considerable attention from researchers and industry due to their hypoglycemic and immunomodulatory activities, tumor inhibition, and other health benefits. The development of a novel metabolic synthesis technique, a breakthrough in adversity management, allows for the mass production of active polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the activity of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides produced using this technique and their products in inhibiting metabolic syndrome, as well as anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities.
Results: The results demonstrated that the β-1,3;1,6-glucan content of the mycelia extract of Ganoderma lucidum produced by this technique was as high as 73.0%. Both original extracts and the sterilized treatment effectively inhibit the activities of amylase, lipase, and ACE metabolic enzymes. Furthermore, they were observed to significantly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells, SW620 and HCT116, in vitro. The extracts were also demonstrated to be statistically significant in inhibiting the production of nitric oxide, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in both a prophylactic and inflammatory model in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The powdered products made from the extracts with the addition of excipients did not lose their efficacy due to the reduction in the concentration of active polysaccharides, and these products retained their activity, especially in antitumor proliferative activity.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the developed Ganoderma lucidum mycelium extract has the potential for industrial production of health food products.
Introduction
Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) has been the subject of extensive research into its numerous physiological activities, leading to the development of numerous health food products. The active ingredients in Ganoderma lucidum include triterpenes and polysaccharides. Of these, the water-extractable polysaccharides have a variety of pharmacological properties, including immunomodulatory, anti-metabolic syndrome, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects.1–5 The active polysaccharide present in Ganoderma lucidum has a unique chemical structure comprising β-glucan with various β-glycosidic bonds and a branching point of β-(1 → 6). Ganoderma lucidum was reported as a water-soluble polysaccharide that has an antitumor effect with a molecular weight of 40 kDa from the fruiting bodies.6 They proposed that the underlying structure of this polysaccharide’s antitumor activity is a branched glucan core, which involves (1 → 3)-β-, (1 → 4)-β- and (1 → 6)-β- linkages. The biochemical and clinical studies that have been conducted have demonstrated that the polysaccharides present in Ganoderma lucidum, with particular emphasis on β-1,3;1,6 glucan, have a significant effect on the modulation of the immune system.7,8
The observed biological activity of this β-D-glucan is dependent on its specific β-structure. The chemical structure of the polysaccharide is dependent upon the methodology employed during the manufacturing process and the specific culture medium used.3 In controlled environments, Ganoderma lucidum can be cultivated in greenhouses or bioreactors for metabolite production.9 Submerged cultivation of mushroom mycelium has been demonstrated to be an effective method for producing extracellular bioactive metabolites.10 Ganoderma lucidum can be cultivated using biotechnology to produce active polysaccharides. Although polysaccharides can be obtained from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum, it should be noted that this is not the only source of these compounds. Exopolysaccharides are polysaccharides produced by the culture broth during the submerged fermentation of mushroom mycelium.11,12 Exopolysaccharides are more widely used than polysaccharides obtained from mushroom mycelium and fruiting bodies due to their ability to produce more polysaccharides in a shorter period of producing time and their reduced susceptibility to contamination.13
Various commercially available products are derived from Ganoderma lucidum, including capsules, powders, dietary supplements, and teas.14 The physiological activity of pure active ingredients has been evaluated in most studies. In practice, formulation technology is required to produce products that are easy to ingest and are suitable for use in the health food industry. However, activity is usually reduced after the addition of an excipient or formulation.15 The composition of many commercial products derived from traditional techniques of Ganoderma lucidum cultivation is complicated to standardize effectively, which makes it challenging to assess the results of stabilizing the extracts into products. In this study, the in vitro metabolic syndrome, tumor proliferation inhibition, and anti-inflammatory activities of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides produced by an innovative metabolic synthesis technology and the powder produced by the addition of excipients were investigated simultaneously.
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Hsieh C-Y, Yang H-S, Hsu C-P, Chang J-F, Lin C-C. Exploring the Potential Health Benefits of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides Produced Using an Innovative Metabolic Synthesis Technique. Natural Product Communications. 2025;20(7). doi:10.1177/1934578X241301955
