Site icon Life Force Research Center

Chemical, biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide as an approved drug for treating myopathy and other diseases in China

Pengjiao Zeng, 1 , 2 Zhihua Guo, 1 Xuan Zeng, 1 Cui Hao, 1 Yiran Zhang, 1 Meng Zhang, 1 , 2 Yong Liu, 1 , 2 Hui Li, 1 Juan Li, 1 and Lijuan Zhang 1 , 2

Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum is an edible medicinal mushroom known as “Lingzhi” in China and “Reishi or Manetake” in Japan. It is a highly prized vitality‐enhancing herb for more than 2000 years. G. lucidum polysaccharide (GLPS) has been identified as one of the major bioactive components and developed into a drug named “Ji 731 Injection” in China since 1973. The large‐scale production of the drug began in 1985 and approved by the Chinese FDA as “Polysaccharidum of G. lucidum Karst Injection” (Ling Bao Duo Tang Zhu She Ye) in 2000, which is applied intramuscularly. After more than forty years of clinical use, its efficacy, safety and long‐term tolerability have been recognized by neurologists. It is one of a few non‐hormonal drugs used for treating refractory myopathy. It is also used for combination therapy, which reduces the amount of glucocorticoid required for myopathy patient who is in remission. In addition, it reduces adverse reactions and improves the quality of life for cancer patients during chemotherapy. We found 81 qualified chemical, biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies of GLPS both in English and in Chinese spanning from 1973 to 2017 by searching CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang database and PubMed. The molecular mechanisms underlying GLPS’s antioxidant, anti‐tumour, immune‐modulatory, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and other activities are discussed. Both preclinical and clinical studies are either deliberated or indexed in the current article. We aimed at providing a molecular picture as well as a clinical basis to comprehend GLPS as one of few polysaccharide‐based modern medicines with complicated chemical and pharmacological properties that prevent it from entering the world’s market.

Keywords: cancer, clinical studies, Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide, immunotherapeutic, myopathy

1. INTRODUCTION

Ganoderma is a genus of polypore mushrooms that grow on wood that include about 80 species. Ganoderma lucidum, an edible medicinal mushroom known as “Lingzhi” in China and “Reishi or Manetake” in Japan 1 (Figure 1), has been used for promoting health and for extending life in China and in other East Asia countries for more than 2000 years.2 There are multiple species of Lingzhi, scientifically known to be within the Ganoderma lucidum species complex.3 “Lingzhi” includes both G. lucidum and G. sinense as recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia of 2010.456

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is JCMM-22-3278-g001.jpg

Figure 1

The picture of Ganoderma lucidum

The fungi, mycelia and spores of G. lucidum contain about 400 different bioactive substances, including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, nucleotides, sterols, steroids, fatty acids, proteins/peptides and trace elements. Among them, G. lucidum polysaccharide (GLPS) has been identified as one of the major bioactive components, showing most physiological and health‐promoting effects acclaimed for G. lucidum, such as anti‐tumour78, immune‐modulatory,89 antioxidant,10111213 hypoglycaemic1415 and other activities.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide is the major component by weight among all constituents in the spores of G. lucidum. Over 200 polysaccharides have been isolated and structurally articulated in the fruiting bodies, mycelia and spores of G. lucidum; however, modern analytical chemistry is still revealing new polysaccharides from G. lucidum.12 Glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, fucose and arabinose have been identified in GLPS, and only β‐glucan, a pure glucose polymer, is believed to be one of the active ingredients in GLPS.1016 The β‐glucan structure in GLPS is shown in Figure 2.

Reference:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6010762/

Reishi

Exit mobile version