Triterpenoids and polysaccharide peptides-enriched Ganoderma lucidum: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its antioxidation and hepatoprotective efficacy in healthy volunteers

• Published in: Pharmaceutical biology Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 1041 - 1046
• Main Authors: Chiu, Hui-Fang, Fu, Hui-Yu, Lu, Yan-Ying, Han, Yi-Chun, Shen, You-Cheng, Venkatakrishnan, Kamesh, Golovinskaia, Oksana, Wang, Chin-Kun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01.01.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Adult; Aging; alanine transaminase; Antifungal agents; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; aspartate transaminase; Cross-Over Studies; Deoxyguanosine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxyguanosine - analysis; dinner; Double-Blind Method; Double-blind studies; Enzymes; Fatty liver; Female; females; Fungi; Ganoderma lucidum; Glutathione; Guanosine; Healthy Volunteers; hepatic markers; Hepatitis; Humans; Hyperglycemia; hypertension; Liver - drug effects; lunch; Male; males; medicinal fungi; Middle Aged; Oriental traditional medicine; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; placebos; Polyporaceae; Polysaccharides; Protective Agents - pharmacology; Proteoglycans - pharmacology; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Reishi - chemistry; Thiobarbituric acid; Thiols; Traditional Chinese medicine; Transaminase; Triterpenes - pharmacology; Triterpenoids; ultrasonic examination; ultrasonics; hepatic markers; Oxidative stress; fatty liver; ultrasonic examination
• ISSN: 1388-0209; 1744-5116; 1744-5116
• DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2017.1288750

Context: Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss: Fr) Karst. (Polyporaceae) is an oriental medicinal fungus, commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating various condition or diseases such as hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hepatitis and cancer. Objective: The current study examines whether triterpenoids and polysaccharide-enriched G. lucidum (GL) influence antioxidation and hepatoprotective efficacy by suppressing oxidative stress. Materials and methods: Forty-two healthy subjects (22 male and 20 female) were recruited and segregated into two groups as experimental or placebo and requested to intake GL (n = 21) or placebo (n = 21) capsule (225 mg; after lunch or dinner) for six consecutive months and vice versa with one month washout period in between. The anthropometric analysis and biochemical assays, as well as abdominal ultrasonic examination were performed. Results: Consumption of GL substantially improved (p < 0.05) the total antioxidant capacity (TEAC; 79.33-84.04), total thiols and glutathione content (6-8.05) in plasma as well as significant (p < 0.05) enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Whereas, the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; 3.37-2.47), 8-hydroxy-deoxy-guanosine (8-OH-dG; 15.99-11.98) and hepatic marker enzymes (glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase; GOT and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase; GPT) were concomitantly reduced (42 and 27%) on treatment with GL. Furthermore, the abdominal ultrasonic examination in GL subjects displayed a notable alteration on hepatic condition by reversing from mild fatty liver condition (initial) to normal condition. Discussion and Conclusion: The outcome of the present intervention demonstrated the antioxidation, anti-aging and hepatoprotective nature of GL by effectively curbing oxidative stress.