Abstract
In Asia, a variety of dietary products have been used for centuries as popular remedies to prevent or treat different diseases. A large number of herbs and extracts from medicinal mushrooms are used for the treatment of diseases. Mushrooms such as Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), Lentinus edodes (Shiitake), Grifola frondosa (Maitake), Hericium erinaceum (Yamabushitake), and Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) have been collected and consumed in China, Korea, and Japan for centuries. Until recently, these mushrooms were largely unknown in the West and were considered “fungi” without any nutritional value. However, most mushrooms are rich in vitamins, fiber, and amino acids and low in fat, cholesterol, and calories. These mushrooms contain a large variety of biologically active polysaccharides with immunostimulatory properties, which contribute to their anticancer effects. Furthermore, other bioactive substances, including triterpenes, proteins, lipids, cerebrosides, and phenols, have been identified and characterized in medicinal mushrooms. This review summarizes the biological effects of Ganoderma lucidum upon specific signaling molecules and pathways, which are responsible for its therapeutic effects.
Keywords: mushroom, ganoderma lucidum, polysaccharides, triterpenes, signaling pathways
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Cellular and Physiological Effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)
Volume: 4 Issue: 8
Author(s): Daniel Sliva
Affiliation:
Keywords: mushroom, ganoderma lucidum, polysaccharides, triterpenes, signaling pathways
Abstract: In Asia, a variety of dietary products have been used for centuries as popular remedies to prevent or treat different diseases. A large number of herbs and extracts from medicinal mushrooms are used for the treatment of diseases. Mushrooms such as Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), Lentinus edodes (Shiitake), Grifola frondosa (Maitake), Hericium erinaceum (Yamabushitake), and Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) have been collected and consumed in China, Korea, and Japan for centuries. Until recently, these mushrooms were largely unknown in the West and were considered “fungi” without any nutritional value. However, most mushrooms are rich in vitamins, fiber, and amino acids and low in fat, cholesterol, and calories. These mushrooms contain a large variety of biologically active polysaccharides with immunostimulatory properties, which contribute to their anticancer effects. Furthermore, other bioactive substances, including triterpenes, proteins, lipids, cerebrosides, and phenols, have been identified and characterized in medicinal mushrooms. This review summarizes the biological effects of Ganoderma lucidum upon specific signaling molecules and pathways, which are responsible for its therapeutic effects.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Sliva Daniel, Cellular and Physiological Effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2004; 4 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389557043403323
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389557043403323 |
Print ISSN 1389-5575 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5607 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Bioprospecting of Natural Products as Sources of New Multitarget Therapies
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, bioprospecting is the exploration of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge to develop commercially valuable products for pharmaceutical and other applications. Bioprospecting involves searching for useful organic compounds in plants, fungi, marine organisms, and microorganisms. Natural products traditionally constituted the primary source of more than ...read more
Computational Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry
The thematic issue "Computational Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry" provides a robust platform for delving into state-of-the-art computational methodologies and technologies that significantly propel advancements in medicinal chemistry. This edition seeks to amalgamate top-tier reviews spotlighting the latest trends and breakthroughs in the fusion of computational approaches, including artificial intelligence (AI) ...read more
Mitochondria as a Therapeutic Target in Metabolic Disorders
Mitochondria are the primary site of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in mammalian cells. Moreover, these organelles are an important source of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in virtually any nucleated cell type. The modulation of a myriad of cellular signaling pathways depends on the mitochondrial physiology. Mitochondrial dysfunction is observed ...read more
Natural Products and Dietary Supplements in Alleviation of Metabolic, Cardiovascular, and Neurological Disorders
Metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, inflammation, oxidative stress, cancer etc, cardiovascular disorders like angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure etc as well as neurological disorders like Alzheimer?s, Parkinson?s, Epilepsy, Depression, etc are the global burden. They covered the major segment of the diseases and disorders from which the human community ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Comparison Between the Effects of Bupivacaine and Levobupivacaine for Spinal Anesthesia on QT Dispersion
Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders-Drug Targets Schizophrenia: Causes and Treatments
Current Pharmaceutical Design New Therapies for Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Magnesium as a Neuroprotective Agent in Cerebral Ischemia
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Central Nervous System Agents Novel Neuroendocrine and Metabolic Mechanism Provides the Patented Platform for Important Rejuvenation Therapies: Targeted Therapy of Telomere Attrition and Lifestyle Changes of Telomerase Activity with the Timing of Neuron-Specific Imidazole-Containing Dipeptide-Dominant Pharmaconutrition Provision
Recent Patents on Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery Therapeutic Strategies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases by Means of Drug Delivery Systems
Current Medicinal Chemistry Osteoporotic Fracture Healing: Potential Use of Medicinal Plants from the Tropics
Current Drug Targets Metronomic Therapy for Multi Relapsed/Refractory Lymphoma. A Pilot Study
Current Angiogenesis (Discontinued) Postprandial Hypotension - Novel Insights into Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Implications
Current Vascular Pharmacology Strategies to Tackle Early Low Flow States in the Extremely Preterm Infant
Current Pediatric Reviews Chemical Intuition in Drug Design and Discovery
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry The Role of Chymase in Vascular Remodeling and Tissue Fibrosis
Current Hypertension Reviews Liposomal-All-trans-Retinoic Acid in the Treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Mechanisms of Esophageal Protection, Gastroprotection and Ulcer Healing by Melatonin. Implications for the Therapeutic use of Melatonin in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Peptic Ulcer Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Hyperglycemia and Perioperative Glucose Management
Current Pharmaceutical Design PPARγ in Angiogenesis and Vascular Development
Current Angiogenesis (Discontinued) Adenosine and Adenosine Receptors in the Pathomechanism and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Sepsis, Coagulation and Anticoagulants
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Discovery of Natural Product-Derived 5-HT1A Receptor Binders by Cheminfomatics Modeling of Known Binders, High Throughput Screening and Experimental Validation
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Current Biological Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design