title: Natural products of the medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum: occurrence, biological activities, and pharmacological functions.
abstract: Ganoderma lucidum, a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine, produces polysaccharides and oxygenated triterpenoids with a very broad spectrum of biological activities and pharmacological functions. Among the Ganoderma triterpenoids, many pairs of C-3 alpha/beta stereoisomers and C-3/C-15 positional isomers have been identified. Biosynthetic study has indicated that the C-3alpha series of oxygenated triterpenoids is derived from the C-3beta series via an oxidation-reduction pathway. The interaction of Ganoderma triterpenoids with human platelets in the induction of aggregation and inhibition of agonist-induced aggregation and signal transduction has been elucidated. Reduction of cellular mevalonate content to a stage in which cholesterol synthesis is strongly inhibited and cell growth is marginally arrested sensitizes hepatoma cells to the oxygenated triterpenoids. A combination treatment of lovastatin and Ganoderma triterpenoids in animal studies has exhibited a potential anticancer effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan 11217. msshia@ughtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Ming-Shi
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D032902:Ganoderma / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014315:Triterpenes