Exploring Nutrient Profiles, Phytochemical Composition, and the Antiproliferative Activity of Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma leucocontextum: A Comprehensive Comparative Study

Author: mycolabadmin
2024-02-18
View Source

Summary

This research compared two species of medicinal mushrooms, showing that Ganoderma leucocontextum contains higher levels of beneficial compounds and better anti-cancer properties than the more commonly known Ganoderma lucidum. Both mushrooms demonstrated strong antioxidant properties and ability to fight cancer cells. Impacts on everyday life: • Provides evidence for using these mushrooms as natural health supplements • Identifies a potentially more potent alternative to traditional Reishi mushroom • Supports the development of natural cancer-fighting treatments • Offers new insights for functional food development • Validates traditional medicinal uses of these mushrooms

Background

Ganoderma species, known as ‘Reishi’ in Japan or ‘Lingzhi’ in China, are macrofungi with extensive traditional use as both functional food and therapeutic agents. Over 428 distinct Ganoderma species have been identified, with research highlighting their medicinal properties including immune enhancement, antibacterial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, lipid-reducing, antiatherogenic, antifungal, and antiviral effects. These health benefits stem from their nutritional composition and bioactive constituents including polysaccharides, triterpenes, proteins, sterols, and other secondary metabolites.

Objective

The study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the nutrition profile and phytochemical composition between Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma leucocontextum. Additionally, it investigated their antioxidant capacity and ability to inhibit tumor cell growth to assess bioactivity and understand potential health benefits for food and medicine applications.

Results

G. leucocontextum showed higher levels of protein (21.2%), ash (2.2%), flavonoids (3.39 mg QE/g), and triterpenes (14.19 mg oleanolic acid/g) compared to G. lucidum. G. lucidum contained more dietary fiber (64.2%), polyphenols (0.64 mg GAE/g), and polysaccharides. Both species demonstrated significant antioxidant activity and antitumor effects, with G. leucocontextum showing higher cytotoxicity against cancer cells with lower IC50 values.

Conclusion

The study revealed distinct nutritional and bioactive profiles between the two Ganoderma species, with G. leucocontextum showing superior content of several beneficial compounds and enhanced antitumor activity. Both species demonstrated significant antioxidant properties, highlighting their potential as valuable sources of natural therapeutic agents, particularly G. leucocontextum for anticancer applications.

Published in:Foods,
Study Type:Comparative Laboratory Study,
Source: 10.3390/foods13040614