Ganoderma lucidum

Ganoderma Lucidum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Basidiomycota Class: Agaricomycetes Order: Polypolares Family: Ganidermataceae Genus: Ganoderma Species: G. Lucidum
Binomial name
Ganoderma Lucidum William Curtis P. Carst

Description and significance

Ganoderma lucidum is a mushroom well known for it's medicinal properties, it's common names are Red Reishi, Bracket Mushroom and Lingzhi. It has a highly varnished red surface, a small narrow stalk with a kidney-bean shaped cap. G. lucidum is classified as a polypore mushroom as it has pores underneath it's cap instead of gills.

Genome structure

Currently G. lucidum does not have a completed genome map but parts of it's genome have been sequenced by different research groups.

Ecology

G. lucidum grows on decaying logs, stumps and below deciduous trees like Mapple, however it is rarely found growing in the wild and so is usually cultivated in farms for its medicinal value. G. lucidum is found in the tropics and temperate zones throughout the world.

Application to Biotechnology

Today we can find products based on G. lucidum in both Asian and Western markets. G. lucidum extracts are available individually or with a blend of other herbs.

Current Research

Ganoderma lucidum causes apoptosis in leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma cells

Researchers tested Ganoderma lucidum extract for its anti-proliferative activity by using a panel of 26 human cancer cell lines. The six most sensitive hematologic cell lines were: HL-60 (ED50 26μg/ml), U937 (63μg/ml), K562 (50μg/ml), Blin-1 (38μg/ml), Nalm-6 (30μg/ml) and RPMI8226 (40μg/ml). Four cells were found to show significant apoptosis between 21 and 92%. The cells were found to become multinucleated with an increase in their DNA content. The results indicated that G. lucidum extracts showed significant resistance to leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma cells and could prove highly effective as an alternate treatment of hematologic malignancies.

Effect of Ganoderma on drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant small-cell lung carcinoma cells

Researchers tested effects of Ganoderma on drug-sensitive (H69) and multi-drug resistant (VPA) human SCLC cells. It was found that both cells showed equal cytotoxicity when they were incubated with extracts from 9 different species of Ganoderma, including G. lucidum. Cells that were treated with cytotoxic extracts of G. lucidum showed apoptosis, while the control group cells treated with non-cytotoxic extracts stayed the same. This was confirmed by: increase in the DNA within cells. It was found that extracts of several species of G. lucidum are cytotoxic to drug-sensictive and drug-resistive small-cell lung cancer cells.