Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi) Research
Toxicology
There are few reports of toxicity with the use of reishi mushroom.
Botany
The reishi mushroom is a purplish-brown fungus with a long stalk,
brown spores, and a fan-shaped cap with a shiny, varnish-coated
appearance. Reishi grows on decaying wood or tree stumps,
1
preferring the Japanese plum tree but also found on oak. The mushroom
is native to China, Japan, and North America but is cultivated
throughout other Asian countries. Cultivation of reishi is a long,
complicated process. The reishi grows in 6 colors, each thought to have
different characteristics and known as: Aoshiba (blue reishi), Akashiba
(red reishi), Kishiba (yellow reishi), Shiroshiba (white reishi),
Kuroshiba (black reishi), and Murasakishiba (purple reishi).
2 ,
3
History
Reishi has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than
4,000 years for treating fatigue, asthma, cough, and liver ailments, and
to promote longevity.
2 The Chinese name
lingzhi means “herb of spiritual potency.”
2 A Japanese name for the reishi is
mannentake
, meaning “10,000-year-old mushroom.” Reishi's use is documented in the
oldest Chinese medical text, which is more than 2,000 years old.
4
Cultivation of reishi began in the 1980s. A survey conducted in Hong
Kong found G. lucidum to be the third most common herbal preparation
taken by preoperative surgical patients.
5
Chemistry
The reishi mushroom is high in polysaccharide content with at least 36 different compounds identified,
6 including beta-d-glucan and GL-1.
2 ,
3 ,
7 Triterpene constituents also have been analyzed.
8
Triterpene antioxidants, including ganoderic acids A, B, C, and D;
ganoderol A and B; ganoderol A; lucidenic acid B, and ganodermanontriol
have been found in reishi.
1 ,
2 ,
6 ,
9 ,
10 ,
11 Terpenoids 1, 2, and 3, and terpenes lucidenic acid O and lucidenic lactone are also present.
3 ,
6 ,
12 A peptidoglycan from reishi contained approximately 7% protein and 76% carbohydrate.
13 Certain enzymes from reishi have been reported,
14
as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Lanostan, coumarins, ergosterol, and cerevisterol are also components of
reishi.
