The Ganoderma and other mycelial medicine
Original drawing of Ganoderma
In the ancient Chinese love story, Bai She Zhuan (Legend of the White Snake), the heroine, White Snake, had to steal the celestial herb — the ‘Lingzhi’ mushroom, to save her husband’s life. This fungus is a Ganoderma mushroom, native to China, but can also be found in Singapore and other Asian countries (where the Ganodermataceae family is known as reishi or mannentake), notable for being a shared symbol of longevity and health.
The history of this fungus can be traced back to ancient China. The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, from the Eastern Han dynasty of China (25-220 AD), describes the beneficial effects of several mushrooms with a reference to the medicinal Ganoderma. The writer of this book was never known. Later, in the Supplement to Classic of Materia Medica (502-536 AD) and the Ben Cao Gang Mu by Li Shin-Zhen, the mushroom was described as providing vital energy, strengthening cardiac function, increasing memory, and having antiaging effects.
Man holding Ganoderma by Chen Hongshou (1599-1652)
The pharmacologically active compounds of the Ganoderma includes its triterpenoids. The triterpenoids have several beneficial effects such as anti-hepatoxicity, hepatoprotective abilities and anti-HIV activities.
The ‘Lingzhi’ fungus was generally assigned to the scientific binomial Ganoderma lucidum. However, the G. lucidum was originally described from England, and molecular studies of “G. lucidum” in Asia has concluded that they are not conspecific with their European counterparts. ‘Lingzhi’, is most likely a reference to several different fungi that have similar morphologies, with not all belonging to the Ganoderma genus.
Besides the revered Ganoderma mushroom, there are several other medically important fungi worth noting. Psychedelics, including ‘magic mushrooms’, have a bad reputation, for good reason. These mushrooms contain potent mind-altering substances that can have detrimental impacts on the user’s mind and body when used irresponsibly. However, when used under close monitoring and guidance during psychedelic psychotherapy, fungi-produced chemicals could aid in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, social anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9XD8yRPxc8
Even the walls of fungal cells may hold importance for the future of medicine. Generally speaking, mushrooms have cell walls with chitin that is a polymer that has been studied for its ability as a biocompatible wound dressing of the future. Studies have shown that chitin-based dressings can accelerate the healing process by speeding up the repair of different tissues and regulating the secretion of inflammatory mediators. The humble fungi could be a more accessible and reliable source of chitin that is easier to culture than insects or crustaceans.
