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Review
. 2023 Oct 25;12(11):1907.
doi: 10.3390/antiox12111907.

Natural Bio-Compounds from Ganoderma lucidum and Their Beneficial Biological Actions for Anticancer Application: A Review

Emin Cadar  1 , Ticuta Negreanu-Pirjol  1   2 , Carolina Pascale  3 , Rodica Sirbu  3 , Irina Prasacu  4 , Bogdan-Stefan Negreanu-Pirjol  1 , Cezar Laurentiu Tomescu  5   6 , Ana-Maria Ionescu  5   7
Affiliations
Review

Natural Bio-Compounds from Ganoderma lucidum and Their Beneficial Biological Actions for Anticancer Application: A Review

Emin Cadar et al. Antioxidants (Basel). .

Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) has been known for many centuries in Asian countries under different names, varying depending on the country. The objective of this review is to investigate the scientific research on the natural active bio-compounds in extracts obtained from G. lucidum with significant biological actions in the treatment of cancer. This review presents the classes of bio-compounds existing in G. lucidum that have been reported over time in the main databases and have shown important biological actions in the treatment of cancer. The results highlight the fact that G. lucidum possesses important bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, sterols, proteins, nucleotides, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, which have been demonstrated to exhibit multiple anticancer effects, namely immunomodulatory, anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, and antioxidant action. The potential health benefits of G. lucidum are systematized based on biological actions. The findings present evidence regarding the lack of certainty about the effects of G. lucidum bio-compounds in treating different forms of cancer, which may be due to the use of different types of Ganoderma formulations, differences in the study populations, or due to drug-disease interactions. In the future, larger clinical trials are needed to clarify the potential benefits of pharmaceutical preparations of G. lucidum, standardized by the known active components in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Keywords: Ganoderma lucidum; antioxidant; antitumor activity; cytotoxic; immunomodulatory; natural bio-compounds; polysaccharides; triterpenoids.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Appearance of Ganoderma lucidum in Europe (Romania) and Asia [61,62]. (a) G. lucidum from Neamt County, Romania, adapted from [61]. (b) G. lucidum from Bacau County, Romania, adapted from [61]. (c) Reishi or Lingzhi from India, adapted from [62].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Different cultivation methods for fruit body and mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum, adapted from [14].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Bioactive compounds in G. lucidum and biological actions involved in anticancer activity, adapted from Ahmad [13].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Diagram of the extraction of polysaccharides from G. lucidum, adapted from [85].
Figure 5
Figure 5
The structure of a Gl-Ps chain consisting of β-(1→3) bonds with some β-(1→6) branches, adapted from [85].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Skeletal structure of a typical terpenoid and other terpenoids 1–10 [118].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Structure of ganoderic acids from G. lucidum, adapted from [122].
Figure 8
Figure 8
Specific structures for other ganoderic compounds [152].
Figure 9
Figure 9
Mechanisms of action of polysaccharide and triterpene extracts isolated from G. lucidum with anticancer effect, adapted from [35].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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