Neuroprotective, neurogenic, and anticholinergic evidence of Ganoderma lucidum cognitive effects: Crucial knowledge is still lacking.

Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum is a mushroom that has been widely used for centuries in Asian countries for its antiaging properties. It is popularly known as"Ling Zhi,""Reishi," and "Youngzhi,"and because of its benefits, it is known as the "immortality mushroom." Pharmacological assays have revealed that G. lucidum ameliorates cognitive impairments through inhibition of β-amyloid and neurofibrillary tangleformation, antioxidant effect, reduction of inflammatory cytokine release and apoptosis, genic expression modulation, among other activities.Chemical investigations onG. lucidumhaverevealed the presence of metabolites such as triterpenes, which are the most explored in this field, as well as flavonoids, steroids, benzofurans, and alkaloids; in theliterature, thesehave also been reportedto havemnemonic activity. These properties of the mushroom make ita potential source of new drugs to prevent or reverse memory disorders,as actual medications are able toonly alleviate some symptomsbut are unable to stop the progress of cognitive impairments, with no impact on social, familiar, and personal relevance. In this review, we discuss the cognitive findings of G. lucidum reported in the literature, converging the proposed mechanisms through the several pathways that underlie memory and cognition processes. In addition, we highlight the gaps that deserveparticular attention to support future studies.