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Ganoderma and Health pp 143–157Cite as

Neuropharmacological Effect and Clinical Applications of Ganoderma (Lingzhi)

Part of the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series (AEMB,volume 1182)

Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Lingzhi) is a kind of medical mushroom with various pharmacological compounds. It has been used for clinical applications for thousands of years as a highly nutritious and significantly effective medicinal herb. Compared with its immunomodulatory effect, there are a few studies on the neuropharmacological actions of Ganoderma, and the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. As far as we know, Ganoderma regulate the central nervous system (CNS) at least in part through its immunomodulatory activity. The neuropharmacological effects of G. lucidum mainly include but not limited to sedative and hypnotic, neuroprotective, antinociceptive and analgesic, antiepileptic, and antidepressant effects. Clinical trials of G. lucidum in the patients with these disorders are still rare. To date, there are no Ganoderma-related drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this chapter, we will summarize and elucidate recent progress of such effects of Ganoderma and its ingredients from both the preclinical and clinical points of view.

Keywords

  • Ganoderma
  • Sedative and hypnotic effects
  • Neuroprotective effects
  • Antinociceptive and analgesic effects
  • Antiepileptic effects
  • Antidepressant effects

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Xiangyu Cui & Yonghe Zhang

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  1. Xiangyu Cui
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  2. Yonghe Zhang
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Correspondence to Yonghe Zhang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Prof. Zhibin Lin

  2. Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Prof. Baoxue Yang

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Cui, X., Zhang, Y. (2019). Neuropharmacological Effect and Clinical Applications of Ganoderma (Lingzhi). In: Lin, Z., Yang, B. (eds) Ganoderma and Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1182. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9421-9_5

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