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Unlocking Reishi’s secrets: nutritional and medicinal traits of Ganoderma lucidum isolated from tree bark in Egypt

Summary

Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) from Egypt show promise as natural medicine. Researchers tested extracts and found they can fight bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells in laboratory tests. The mushrooms are rich in beneficial compounds like vitamins and antioxidants. While the extract was not as strong as conventional drugs, it showed good safety profiles and potential for development into new medicines.

Background

Ganoderma lucidum, commonly known as reishi or lingzhi, is an edible macrofungus with a long history of use in traditional East Asian medicine. The mushroom is rich in bioactive compounds including triterpenoids, polysaccharides, and phenolic compounds with recognized anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. There is a significant research gap regarding the chemical composition and bioactivity of G. lucidum cultivated in Egyptian sources and their potential medicinal applications.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the in-vitro antimicrobial, antitumor, antiviral, and antioxidant capacity of Ganoderma lucidum water extract (GLWE) isolated from Egyptian sources. The research also sought to perform comprehensive chemical characterization of the bioactive constituents and nutritional profile of the extract using advanced analytical techniques.

Results

GLWE demonstrated antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with inhibition zones of 16.1-38.8 mm, with particular efficacy against P. vulgaris and MRSA. The extract showed modest antiviral activity against HSV-1 (EC₅₀ 493.8 µg/mL, SI 10.6) and HAdv-7 (EC₅₀ 607.1 µg/mL, SI 8.62) with low cytotoxicity (CC₅₀ 5237 µg/mL). Anticancer efficacy was demonstrated against HepG-2 (IC₅₀ 138.2 µg/mL), MCF-7 (IC₅₀ 99.06 µg/mL), and Caco2 (IC₅₀ 198.1 µg/mL) cell lines. Strong antioxidant activity was observed with DPPH IC₅₀ of 23.69 µg/mL and ABTS IC₅₀ of 14.79 µg/mL. Chemical analysis identified 27 bioactive compounds including ganoderic acids, lucidenic acids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and multiple vitamins.

Conclusion

Ganoderma lucidum water extract from Egyptian sources exhibits significant therapeutic potential with demonstrated antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, and antioxidant activities. The extract contains diverse bioactive compounds and valuable nutritional constituents including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and triterpenoids. These findings support the potential application of G. lucidum as a nutraceutical and therapeutic agent in modern medicine, warranting further investigation into bioactivity-guided isolation and clinical development.
  • Published in:AMB Express,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40650733, DOI: 10.1186/s13568-025-01905-6
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