Focus on anti-oxidative and free radical scavenging activity of Ganoderma lucidum

Present review is built on base of research work on Ganoderma lucidum in our laboratory. A great deal of experimental evidence has suggested that the pharmacological activities of Ganoderma lucidum(Lingzhi) are related to anti-oxidative and free radical scavenging activity. The anti-oxidative and free radical scavenging effects of polysaccharides and triterpenoids isolated from Ganoderma lucidum in different oxidative injury models including tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBOOH)- damaged mice peritoneal macrophages, alloxan-induced diabetes, experimental liver injury models induced by carbon tetrachloride (CC14), D-galactosamine (DGal) and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin(BCG) plus lipopolysaccharides(LPS) were investigated. It is also demonstrated that Lugu lingzhi, one of Ganoderma product, significantly inhibited LDL oxidation mediated by endothelial cells and decreased monocyte adhesion to endothelial cell (EC) induced by Oxidative low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and advanced glycation endproducts(AGE). Lugulingzhi-treated serum could markedly inhibit the expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-l (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-l (VCAM-1) induced by ox-LDL and AGE.