Journal of Wood Science

, Volume 54, Issue 6, pp 502–508 | Cite as

Pharmacological effects of Ganoderma lucidum collected from ume (Japanese apricot) trees

  • Kei Kumakura
  • Hiroyasu Kumakura
  • Michiro Ogura
  • Fumio Eguchi
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

We performed functional evaluation of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum growing on ume trees (Japanese apricot, Prunus mume), and determined the suitability of pruned ume branches as a basic component of culture medium for this mushroom. We observed that all tested functional activities of the fruiting bodies of G. lucidum collected from ume trees were higher than those collected from other broadleaf trees or cultured artificially; the functional tests were angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity, a platelet aggregation inhibition test, and an interleukin-8 (IL-8) gene expression inhibition test. When extracts from fruiting bodies of G. lucidum were orally administered to spontaneous hypertensive rats, hypotensive effects were found. Freeze drying was the most suitable procedure for preservation of the extracts, and the activities of 30% ethanol extracts and 30% methanol extracts were higher than those of hot-water extracts. The highest functional activities for extracts from G. lucidum mycelia cultured on sawdust media were for sawdusts based on ume wood.

Key words

Ganoderma lucidum Ume tree Pharmacological effect 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 1.
    Yamanaka K (1995) Mushroom production and mushroom science (in Japanese). Mokuzai Gakkaishi 14:795–804Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    Lin ZB, Zhang HN (2004) Anti-tumor and immunoregulatory activities of Ganoderma lucidum and its possible mechanisms. Acta Pharmacol Sin 25:1387–1395PubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Cao QZ, Lin ZB (2004) Antitumor and anti-angiogenic activity of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptide. Acta Pharmacol Sin 25:833–838PubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Gao JJ, Min BS, Ahn EM, Nakamura N, Lee HK, Hattori M (2002) New triterpene aldehydes, lucialdehydes A–C, from Ganoderma lucidum and their cytotoxicity against murine and human tumor cells. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 50:837–840CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    el-Mekkawy S, Meselhy MR, Nakamura N, Tezuka Y, Hattori M, Kakiuchi N, Shimotohno K, Kawahata T, Otake T (1998) Anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-1-protease substances from Ganoderma lucidum. Phytochemistry 49:1651–1657CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Kabir Y, Kimura S, Tamura T (1988) Dietary effect of Ganoderma lucidum mushroom on blood pressure and lipid levels in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 34:433–438CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Kanmatsuse K, Kajiwara N, Hayashi K, Shimogaichi S, Fukinbara I, Ishikawa H, Tamura T (1985) Studies on Ganoderma lucidum. I. Efficacy against hypertension and side effects (in Japanese). Yakugaku Zasshi 105:942–947CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    Hong KJ, Dunn DM, Shen CL, Pence BC (2004) Effects of Ganoderma lucidum on apoptotic and anti-inflammatory function in HT-29 human colonic carcinoma cells. Phytother Res 18:768–770CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Akihisa T, Nakamura Y, Tagata M, Tokuda H, Yasukawa K, Uchiyama E, Suzuki T, Kimura Y (2007). Anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor-promoting effects of triterpene acids and sterols from the fungus Ganoderma lucidum. Chem Biodivers 4:224–231CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Yang XJ, Liu J, Ye LB, Yang F, Ye L, Gao JR, Wu ZH (2006) In vitro and in vivo protective effects of proteoglycan isolated from mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury. World J Gastroenterol 12:1379–1385CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Zhang GL, Wang YH, Ni W, Teng HL, Lin ZB (2002) Hepatoprotective role of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide against BCG-induced immune liver injury in mice. World J Gastroenterol 8:728–733CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Liu J, Kurashiki K, Shimizu K, Kondo R (2006) 5alpha-reductase inhibitory effect of triterpenoids isolated from Ganoderma lucidum. Biol Pharm Bull 29:392–395CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Shimizu K, Liu J, Miyamoto I, Kondo R (2006) Utility and function of mushrooms: the preventative effect of benign prostatic hyperplasia and osteoporosis by Ganoderma lucidum (in Japanese). Food Food Ingred 211:124–133Google Scholar
  14. 14.
    Matsumoto K, Ito H (1997) The eating habit which raises immunocompetence (in Japanese). Bunrishoin, Tokyo, pp 101–117Google Scholar
  15. 15.
    Takai Y, Kikuzaki H, Akiyama K, Kohno B, Tujita T, Nakazawa M, Ueda M Nakatani N, Miyatake K (2004) Effects of culture substrates on antioxidant activities of extracts from Ganoderma lucidum (Rei-shi). Mushroom Sci Biotechnol 12:113–118Google Scholar
  16. 16.
    Liu J, Fujita R, Sato M, Shimizu K, Konishi F, Noda K, Kumamoto S, Ueda C, Tajiri H, Kaneko S, Suimi Y, Kondo R (2005) The effect of strain, growth stage, and cultivating condition of Ganoderma lucidum on 5α-reductase inhibition. J Wood Sci 51:189–192CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Kitamoto Y (2006) Current progress in breeding of edible and pharmaceutical mushrooms (in Japanese). Mokuzai Gakkaishi 52:1–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Shen Q, Royse DJ (2001) Effects of nutrient supplements on biological efficiency, quality and crop cycle time of maitake (Grifola frondosa). Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 57:74–78CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Yoshimoto H, Eguchi F, Higaki M, Ohga S (2005) Influence of culture medium components on the pharmacological effects of Agaricus blazei (in Japanese). Mokuzai Gakkaishi 51:389–393CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Cushman DW, Cheung HS (1971) Spectrophotometric assay and properties of the angiotensin-converting enzyme of rabbit lung. Biochem Pharmacol 20:1637–1648CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Shimizu A, Yano T, Saito Y, Inada Y (1985) Isolation of an inhibitor of platelet aggregation from a fungus, Ganoderma lucidum. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 33:3012–3015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Morigiwa A, Kitabatake K, Fujimoto Y, Ikekawa N (1986) Angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitory triterpenes from Ganoderma lucidum. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 34:3025–3028CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. 23.
    Choi HS, Cho HY, Yang HC, Ra KS, Suh HJ (2001) Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor from Grifola frondosa. Food Res Int 34:177–182CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. 24.
    Lee DH, Kim JH, Park JS, Choi YJ, Lee JS (2004) Isolation and characterization of a novel angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide derived from the edible mushroom Tricholoma giganteum. Peptides 25:621–627CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. 25.
    Eguchi F (2005) Biological activities and functions of mushrooms (in Japanese). CMC, Tokyo, pp 16–25Google Scholar
  26. 26.
    Yang HL, Wu TX, Zhang KC (2004) Enhancement of mycelial growth and polysaccharide production in Ganoderma lucidum (the Chinese medicinal fungus, “Lingzhi”) by the addition of ethanol. Biotechnol Lett 26:841–844CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  27. 27.
    Kim HM, Park MK, Yun JW (2006) Culture pH affects exopolysaccharide production in submerged mycelial culture of Ganoderma lucidum. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 134:249–262CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© The Japan Wood Research Society 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kei Kumakura
    • 1
  • Hiroyasu Kumakura
    • 2
  • Michiro Ogura
    • 3
  • Fumio Eguchi
    • 4
  1. 1.Department of Research and DevelopmentMush-Tec Co., Ltd.Takasaki, GunmaJapan
  2. 2.A Common Benefit Corporation NPO GunmaTakasaki, GunmaJapan
  3. 3.Ogura ClinicTakasaki, GunmaJapan
  4. 4.Laboratory of Application Food Science (Mushroom Science), Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and WelfareTakasaki University of Health and WelfareTakasaki, GunmaJapan

Personalised recommendations