Lucidum Spores Research Articles

Differential protein expression in mouse splenic mononuclear cells treated with polysaccharides from spores of Ganoderma lucidum

Polysaccharides were one of the main components of Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal mushroom well known for its immuno-modulation effects. In the present study, we demonstrated that polysaccharides extracted from Ganoderma lucidum spores (GL-SP) could stimulate splenic mononuclear cells (MNCs) proliferation and cytokine production. To identify the possible cellular targets of GL-SP in MNCs, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE)-based comparative proteomics was performed and proteins altered in expressional level after GL-SP treatment were identified by MALDI-TOF MS/MS. Ten proteins with >2-fold increase or decrease expression in GL-SP-treated MNCs compared with control were found and further identified by MALDI-TOF MS/MS analysis and database searching. In the GL-SP-treated MNCs, there were increases in the expression of myosin regulatory light chain 2-A, Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor beta, T-cell-specific GTPase, phosphatidylinositol transfer protein alpha, and decreases in the expression of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, 14-3-3 tau, beta-actin, tubulin alpha 2, copine I, and gamma-actin. The results of the present study help to provide insight into the immuno-modulating activities of GL-SP.

Breaking and characteristics of Ganoderma lucidum spores by high speed entrifugal shearing pulverizer

The spores of Ganoderma lucidum were ground and broken to ultrafine particles by high speed centrifugal shearing(HSCS) pulverizer. The characteristics of Ganoderma lucidum spores were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR). Ultraviolet-visible pectrophotometer was used to determine the extraction ratio of aqueous solubility polysaccharide between the raw and broken spores. The immunological function on the mice before and after the breaking of spores was investigated. The experimental results show that after being ground, the sporoderm-broken ratio reachs 100%, the original active ingredients of ganoderma lucidum spores do not change, and the extraction ratio of aqueous solubility polysaccharide is greatly increased by 40.08%. The broken spores show much higher immunological activity comparing with original spores of Ganoderma lucidum.

Chinese Herbs and Herbal Extracts for Neuroprotection of Dopaminergic Neurons and Potential Therapeutic Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common and debilitating degenerative disease resulting from massive degenerative loss of dopamine neurons, particularly in the substantia nigra. The most classic therapy for PD is levodopa administration, but the efficacy of levodopa treatment declines as the disease progresses. The neuroprotective strategies to rescue nigral dopamine neurons from progressive death are currently being explored, and among them, the Chinese herbs and herbal extracts have shown potential clinical benefit in attenuating the progression of PD in human beings. Growing studies have indicated that a range of Chinese herbs or herbal extracts such as green tea polyphenols or catechins, panax ginseng and ginsenoside, ginkgo biloba and EGb 761, polygonum, triptolide from tripterygium wilfordii hook, polysaccharides from the flowers of nerium indicum, oil from ganoderma lucidum spores, huperzine and stepholidine are able to attenuate degeneration of dopamine neurons and sympotoms caused by the neurotoxins 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in vitro and in vivo conditions. In addition, accumulating data have suggested that Chinese herbs or herbal extracts may promote neuronal survival and neurite growth, and facilitate functional recovery of brain injures by invoking distinct mechanisms that are related to their neuroprotective roles as the antioxidants, dopamine transporter inhibitor, monoamine oxidase inhibitor, free radical scavengers, chelators of harmful metal ions, modulating cell survival genes and signaling, anti-apoptosis activity, and even improving brain blood circulation. New pharmaceutical strategies against PD will hopefully be discovered by understanding the various active entities and valuable combinations that contribute to the biological effects of Chinese herbs and herbal extracts.

Application of Proteomics in Chinese Medicine Research

Proteomics technologies can be applied to simultaneously study the function, organization, diversity, and dynamic variety of a cell or a whole tissue. The integrative approach of proteomics is in line with the holistic concept and practices of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this review, the technologies of proteomics, their adoption leverages the depth and breadth of TCM research are introduced. This article presents some examples to illustrate the use of proteomics technologies in the study of pharmacological effects and their action mechanisms relevant to TCM. Proteomics technologies could be used to screen the target molecules of the TCM actions, identify new bioactive components, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of their effects. With proteomics approaches, it was found that the Siwu decoction could regulate the protein expression of the bone marrow of blood (Xue) deficient mice, including some proteins and enzymes involved in the hemopoiesis system. Ganoderma lucidum spores might promote the survival and axon regeneration of injured spinal motor neurons in rats by regulating the expression levels of proteins involved in the energy and tissue regeneration system. Polygonatum zanlanscianense Pamp exhibited cytotoxicity towards human myeloblast leukemia HL-60 cells through multiple apoptosis-including pathways. Panax ginseng might be beneficial to patients suffering from diabetes mellitus and its complications by alleviating inflammation. Taken together with a discussion on the challenges and perspectives, this paper provides an overview of the recent developments of proteomics technologies in TCM research, and contends that proteomics will play an important role in the modernization and internationalization of TCM.

Ganoderma lucidum inhibits tumour cell proliferation and induces tumour cell death

Ganoderma lucidum, a traditional Chinese medicinal fungus, has been a favourite remedy in oriental medicine for centuries. The objective of this study is to analyze whether G. lucidum affects cancer cell proliferation and cell death. Malignant human breast carcinoma cells were used in our studies. Different preparations of G. lucidum spores were added to the cancer cells at a final concentration of 1 mg/ml followed by incubation of the cultures for two days. Treatment with G. lucidum resulted in tumour cells detachment from the tissue culture plates and death. The proliferation of the adherent cells was also inhibited. The experiments indicated that the inhibitory effects of G. lucidum on cancer cell growth were sporoderm-broken spores (broken by enzymatic method) > sporoderm-broken spores (broken by physical method) > intact spores > buffer control. The polysaccharides isolated from G. lucidum cultivated with wood-logs exhibited the greatest inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, which was concentration-dependent. These results were confirmed by trypan blue staining and MTT assay. The inhibitory effect of G. lucidum on cell proliferation appeared to occur through the Erk pathway: The expression of Erk was reduced in the presence of G. lucidum polysaccharide.

Tumour cell adhesion and integrin expression affected by Ganoderma lucidum

Ganoderma lucidum has been widely used as a miraculous herb for health promotion, especially by cancer patients. It has been known that G. lucidum affects cancer cell activities. We examined the effect of different preparations of G. lucidum spores on malignant human breast carcinoma cell adhesion by treating monolayers of cells with G. lucidum. Our experiments indicated that G. lucidum inhibited cancer cell adhesion to different degrees, which were: sporoderm-broken spores (broken by an enzymatic method) > sporoderm-broken spores (broken by a physical method) > intact spores > buffer control. Similarly, polysaccharides from different G. lucidum sources were used to treat breast carcinoma cells, and its effect on cell adhesion was determined. Polysaccharides isolated from G. lucidum fruiting bodies grown on logs of wood exhibited the greatest inhibitory activity on cell adhesion, an effect that was concentration-dependent. Purified polysaccharides also inhibited cell adhesion to various matrix molecules. Experiments were also done where cells were inoculated on polysaccharide-coated Petri plates. This increased cell adhesion, as compared with BSA and PBS controls, suggests that the polysaccharide interacted with cell surface proteins. Western blot analysis indicated that β1-integrin expression was greatly reduced, while β-actin expression was not affected, suggesting a specific activity of G. lucidum products on β1-integrin.

Effects of Ganleroma lucidum spores on the apoptosis of brain neurons and the expression of brain IGF‐1 and NF‐κB in the epilepsy rat

The present study was undertaken to observe effects of Ganleroma lucidum spore on brain insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB and apoptosis of brain neurons in the epilepsy rat induced by pentetrazole (PTZ). 30 male rats were divided into control, epilepsy, epilepsy plus Ganleroma lucidum spore groups. The epilepsy rats were made by application of oral PTZ (sub-eclampsia dosage). The epilepsy rats had more apoptosis neurons in hippocampus (n=10, P<0.01) and cortex (n=10, P<0.01) than control, and Ganleroma lucidum spore reduced epilepsy-induced increases in the number of apoptosis neurons in hippocampus (n=10, P<0.05) and cortex (n=10, P<0.05). The epilepsy rats had more IGF-1 positive neurons in hippocampus (n=10, P<0.01) and cortex (n=10, P<0.01) than control, and Ganleroma lucidum spore augmented epilepsy-induced increases in the number of IGF-1 positive neurons in hippocampus (n=10, P<0.05) and cortex (n=10, P<0.05). The epilepsy rats had more NF-κB p65 positive neurons in hippocampus (n=10, P<0.01) and cortex (n=10, P<0.01) than control, and Ganleroma lucidum spore reduced epilepsy-induced increases in the number of NF-κB p65 positive neurons in hippocampus (n=10, P<0.05) and cortex (n=10, P<0.05). Ganleroma lucidum spore prolonged the incubation period of epilepsy on the 17th, 21st and 25th day after the epilepsy rats were made. The results suggest that IGF-1 and NF-κB and apoptosis of neurons are involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, and Garoderma lucidum spores has protective effects in rats with epilepsy.

Anticomplement activity of terpenoids from the spores of Ganoderma lucidum.

A new lanostane-type terpenoid, lucidenic acid SP1 (1), was isolated from a CHCl(3)-soluble fraction of Ganoderma lucidum spores together with four other known compounds (2 - 5). The structure of lucidenic acid SP1 was determined to be 3 beta,7 beta-dihydroxy-4,4,14 alpha-trimethyl-11,15-dioxo-5 alpha-chol-8-en-24-oic acid by spectroscopic means including 2D-NMR. Twelve triterpenes (1-12) isolated from G. lucidum spores were investigated in vitro for their anticomplementary activity. Compounds 1 - 5 were inactive, whereas ganoderiol F (8), ganodermanondiol (9) and ganodermanontriol (10) showed a strong anticomplement activity against the classical pathway (CP) of the complement system with IC(50) values of 4.8, 41.7, and 17.2 microM, respectively. The potency of these triterpene alcohols (8-10) in inhibiting CP activity was improved when the number of hydroxymethyl groups on the side chain moiety is increased. On the other hand, the ganoderic acids 1-7, which contain a carboxyl group in the side chain, and lucidumols A and B (11, 12) had little activity on this system.

Effects of extracts from sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum on HeLa cells.

The effects of extracts from Ganoderma lucidum spores on the growth of human cervix uteri tumor HeLa cells as well as on the cell cycle and intracellular calcium level were investigated. Alcohol extracts were prepared from sporoderm-broken and sporoderm-nonbroken spores (termed extract I and extract II) of G. lucidum. Extract I was then subjected to silica gel chromatography to obtain extract III. Cytotoxicity was examined by means of trypan blue exclusion and MTT tests. It was found that extract I and extract III, but not extract II strongly inhibited the growth of HeLa cells, and that extract III was more effective than extract I. Moreover, extract III was shown to be capable of blocking the cell cycle at the transition from G1 to S phase and inducing a marked decrease of intracellular calcium level, determined by flow cytometry and the specific fluorescent calcium probe Fura-2, respectively. These results imply that (1) the breaking of G. lucidum spores improves the release of cytotoxic activity and (2) the effective extract might influence the cell cycle and cellular signal transduction by altering the calcium transport system.