Exploring the Potential Medicinal Benefits of Ganoderma lucidum: From Metabolic Disorders to Coronavirus Infections

Potentials of Natural Antioxidants in Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a substantial global public health challenge, with high morbidity and mortality. CKD patients often experience dyslipidaemia and poor glycaemic control, further exacerbating inflammation and oxidative stress in the kidney. If left untreated, these metabolic symptoms can progress to end-stage renal disease, necessitating long-term dialysis or kidney transplantation. Alleviating inflammation responses has become the standard approach in CKD management. Medications such as statins, metformin, and GLP-1 agonists, initially developed for treating metabolic dysregulation, demonstrate promising renal therapeutic benefits. The rising popularity of herbal remedies and supplements, perceived as natural antioxidants, has spurred investigations into their potential efficacy. Notably, lactoferrin, Boerhaavia diffusa, Amauroderma rugosum, and Ganoderma lucidum are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may support kidney function preservation. However, the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of Western medications and herbal remedies in alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress occurring in renal dysfunction are not completely known. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of CKD treatment strategies and renal function preservation and critically discusses the existing literature's limitations whilst offering insight into the potential antioxidant effects of these interventions. This could provide a useful guide for future clinical trials and facilitate the development of effective treatment strategies for kidney functions.

Enhancing high-efficiency breeding and microbial microdroplet cultivation techniques for Ganoderma lucidum

Ganoderma lucidum is known for its bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides and triterpenoids, which are crucial in food and medicine. However, liquid fermentation encounters challenges in terms of strain differentiation and stability. In this research, we employed atmospheric room temperature plasma mutation and a microbial microdroplet culture system to identify strains with enhanced biomass and triterpenoid production. The three mutant strains, YB05, YB09, and YB18, exhibited accelerated growth rates and antagonized the initial strain G0023 more effectively than the controls. Notably, YB18 displayed the fastest growth, with a 17.25% increase in colony radius. Shake flask cultivation demonstrated that, compared with the initial strain, YB05 and YB18 had 26.33% and 17.85% greater biomass, respectively. Moreover, the triterpenoid production of YB05 and YB18 surpassed that of the control by 32.10% and 15.72%, respectively, as confirmed by colorimetric detection. Importantly, these mutant strains remained stable for five generations. This study revealed a comprehensive screening system utilizing atmospheric pressure, room temperature plasma mutation technology and microbial droplet cultivation. This innovative approach offers a promising pathway for obtaining advantageous Ganoderma strains for liquid fermentation. The methodology of atmospheric room temperature plasma mutation and microbial microdroplet culture systems is detailed for better comprehension.

Removal of pharmaceutical compounds and toxicology study in wastewater using Malaysian fungal Ganoderma lucidum

Elevated usage of pharmaceutical products leads to the accumulation of emerging contaminants in sewage. In the current work, Ganoderma lucidum (GL) was used to remove pharmaceutical compounds (PCs), proposed as a tertiary method in sewage treatment plants (STPs). The PCs consisted of a group of painkillers (ketoprofen, diclofenac, and dexamethasone), psychiatrists (carbamazepine, venlafaxine, and citalopram), beta-blockers (atenolol, metoprolol, and propranolol), and anti-hypertensives (losartan and valsartan). The performance of 800 mL of synthetic water, effluent STP, and hospital wastewater (HWW) was evaluated. Parameters, including treatment time, inoculum volume, and mechanical agitation speed, have been tested. The toxicity of the GL after treatment is being studied based on exposure levels to zebrafish embryos (ZFET) and the morphology of the GL has been observed via Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The findings conclude that GL can reduce PCs from <10% to >90%. Diclofenac and valsartan are the highest (>90%) in the synthetic model, while citalopram and propranolol (>80%) are in the real wastewater. GL effectively removed pollutants in 48 h, 1% of the inoculum volume, and 50 rpm. The ZFET showed GL is non-toxic (LC50 is 209.95 mg/mL). In the morphology observation, pellets GL do not show major differences after treatment, showing potential to be used for a longer treatment time and to be re-useable in the system. GL offers advantages to removing PCs in water due to their non-specific extracellular enzymes that allow for the biodegradation of PCs and indicates a good potential in real-world applications as a favourable alternative treatment.

In silico identification of multi-target inhibitors from medicinal fungal metabolites against the base excision repair pathway proteins of African swine fever virus

African swine fever virus (ASFV) has emerged as a serious threat to the pork industry resulting in significant economic losses and heightened concerns about food security. With no known cure presently available, existing control measures center on animal quarantine and culling. Considering the severity and challenges posed by ASFV, it is imperative to discover new treatment strategies and implement additional measures to prevent its further spread. This study recognized the potential of 1830 fungal metabolites from medicinal fungi as antiviral compounds against base excision repair (BER) proteins of ASFV, specifically ASFVAP, ASFVPolX, and ASFVLig. A wide array of computer-aided drug discovery techniques were employed to carry out the virtual screening process: ADMET profiling revealed 319 molecules with excellent bioavailability and toxicity properties; consensus docking identified the 10 best-scoring ligands against all targets; molecular dynamics simulation elucidated the stability of the protein-ligand complexes; and MM/PB(GB)SA energy calculations predicted the binding energies of the compounds as well as the key residues integral to binding. Through in silico methods, we identified two theoretical lead candidates against ASFVAP, four against ASFVLig, and five against ASFVPolX. Two compounds, methyl ganoderate E and antcamphin M, exhibited potential multi-target inhibitory characteristics against ASFVPolX and ASFVLig, while compound cochlactone A showed promising antagonistic results against all three BER proteins. It is recommended to prioritize these hit compounds in future in vitro and in vivo studies to validate their potential as antiviral drugs against ASFV.

Ganoderma adspersum (Ganodermataceae): Investigation of Its Secondary Metabolites and the Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Cytotoxic Potential of Its Extracts

Ganoderma is a genus of wood-degrading mushrooms with medicinal importance. Most Ganoderma species have been studied extensively for their secondary metabolites, biological activities, and ecological value. In this study, the biological activities of the extracts of G. adspersum growing wild on Morus alba trees in the region of Western Thrace (Greece) were evaluated, and the petroleum ether, dichloromethanolic, and methanolic extracts were studied further for their secondary metabolites. Six substances were isolated by chromatographic (Clumn Chromatography (C.C.), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)) and spectroscopic methods (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)), which were classified in the following categories: (a) unsaturated fatty acids: cis-oleic acid (1); (b) sterols: ergosta-7,22-dien-3-one (2), ergosta-7,22-dien-3-ol (3), and ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3-ol (4); and (c) lanostane-type triterpenoids: applanoxidic acid G (5) and applanoxidic acid A (6). Finally, the biological activities of the extracts were estimated for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic potential. The methanolic extract of G. adspersum showed the highest total antioxidant activity. The results of the antimicrobial activities indicated that all of the extracts had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging between 39.1 and 312.5 μg/mL. The evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of the samples showed once again that the methanolic extract was the most potent among the examined extracts, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 19.22 μg/mL (Hep2c cells), 32.9 μg/mL (RD cells), and 8.94 μg/mL (L2OB cells). Moreover, the bioactivity scores of the isolated secondary metabolites were calculated using the online computer software program Molinspiration. The compounds showed promising bioactivity scores for drug targets.

Nutritional value, elemental bioaccumulation and antioxidant activity of fruiting bodies and mycelial cultures of an unrecorded wild Lactarius hatsudake from Nanyue mountainous region in China

An unrecorded wild mushroom Lactarius hatsudake from Nanyue mountainous region in China was identified. Subsequently, comparative investigation on the nutritional value, elemental bioaccumulation, and antioxidant activity was performed in the fruiting body (FB) and mycelium (MY) samples of this species. It revealed that the contents of moisture (87.66 ± 0.16 g/100 g fw) and ash (6.97 ± 0.16 g/100 g dw) were significantly higher in FB, and the total carbohydrate, fat, and protein concentrations of FB were similar to those in MY. Among nutritionally important elements, FB possessed higher concentrations of potassium (37808.61 ± 1237.38 mg/kg dw), iron (470.69 ± 85.54 mg/kg dw), and zinc (136.13 ± 5.16 mg/kg dw), whereas MY was a better source of magnesium (1481.76 ± 18.03 mg/kg dw), calcium (2203.87 ± 69.61 mg/kg dw), and sodium (277.44 ± 22.93 mg/kg dw). According to the health risk estimation, FB might pose an aluminum-related health problem when a prolonged period of exposure, while MY was risk-free for consumers. The results of antioxidant capacity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) assays) in FB and MY were within the range of 104.19 ± 5.70 mg ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE)/g to 169.50 ± 4.94 mg AAE/g, and half maximal effective concentration EC50 values ranged from 0.23 ± 0.01 mg/mL to 0.62 ± 0.05 mg/mL. The aqueous extracts of MY demonstrated a strong ABTS radical scavenging capacity with the highest AAE value.

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

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.

Ganoderma lucidum methanolic extract as a potent phytoconstituent: characterization, in-vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity

Ganoderma lucidum methanolic extract (GLME) has attracted tremendous attention due to its exceptional antimicrobial and anticancer properties that can be delicately tuned by controlling the initial extraction's content and concentration. Herein, we detailed the characterization, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic performance of GLME as a potential multi-functional therapeutic agent. Accordingly, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDX, and HPLC analyses were employed to assess the samples, followed by disc diffusion and microdilution broth methods to test its antibacterial effects against four Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, viz., Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MTT assay was applied to determine the cytotoxic activity of GLME against PDL and Hek-293 normal cell lines and MCF-7 and K-562 cancer cell lines. The IC50 values of 598 µg mL-1 and 291 µg mL-1 were obtained for MCF-7 and K-562 cancer cell lines, which confirmed the stronger anticancer activity of the GLME against blood cancer cells than breast cancer cells. This is while the IC50 of normal Hek-293 cells is 751 µg mL-1, and the lowest toxicity was observed for normal PDL cells with more than 57% survival at a concentration of 3000 µg mL-1. The results showed that the antibacterial property of this product against E.coli bacteria was higher than streptomycin, so the zone of inhibition was observed as 44 ± 0.09 mm and 30 ± 0.11 mm, respectively. These data provide valuable insights into the therapeutic usage of GLME for treating breast and blood cancers. This work is motivated by research studies looking for pharmacological products to address chronic and acute diseases, where further resources and studies are required to explore such products' adverse effects and toxicity.

A Further Step toward Sustainable Development: The Case of the Edible Mushroom Supply Chain

This study provides an accurate economic characterization of the supply of edible mushrooms throughout Italy within the European context to fill the relevant research gap and highlight barriers and opportunities that are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. Italian companies operating in this field were identified and economically characterized using the Chamber of Commerce's Register of Companies. A qualitative web content analysis was then conducted to extract information about the marketed products, mushroom species, and retail channels, as well as the adopted certifications. The obtained data were quantitatively analyzed through descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analysis. The Italian market is concentrated in northern areas of the country, and the limited company size indicates fragmentation at the production level, which led to Italy not being competitive enough and, thus, heavily rely on imports. Production is limited to less than 10 species, and innovative mushroom-based products, such as burgers, have shown a limited presence on the market, although they are gaining market share online. The novelty of growing kits highlights the potential to use food production waste to create fungal substrates. Investments in training new mushroom growers and studying new formulations and new fungal species are needed; these investments could allow greater market differentiation and be a good opportunity to promote local economies and create new job opportunities, thus meeting the requirements for sustainable development.