1,3-β-glucan Content of Local Medicinal Mushrooms from the Southern Region of Thailand

Abstract

Local medicinal mushrooms were collected from the Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, and Satun provinces during the rainy season. There were 13 specimens identified among the collected samples. Among the samples, one species belonged to the genus of Ganoderma and exhibited a value for 1,3-β-glucan content that was significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) from all other species of local medicinal mushrooms. The 1,3-β-glucan content was the highest in the strains of Ganoderma calidophilum (90.22 mg/g) and Amauroderma rugosum (89.24 mg/g). Some of the more efficacious compounds of Ganoderma were 1,6-branched 1,3-β-glucan, which have been reported to inhibit tumor growth by stimulating the immune system via the activation of macrophage, the balance of T helper cell populations, and subsequent effects on natural killer (NK) cells. Moreover, environmental factors, such as vegetation, soil characteristics, and forest stand, as well as microclimate, were found to be contributory to local medicinal mushroom habitats, and significantly accumulated with bioactive compounds or nutraceutical products, such as 1,3-β-glucan content.