Paper card · curated
Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi)
Wachtel-Galor S, Yuen J, Buswell JA, Benzie IFF
Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects (CRC Press) · 2011
Abstract excerpt
Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) is one of the most-studied medicinal mushrooms in the published literature. The two principal active fractions are the polysaccharide complex (β-glucans, immunomodulatory) and the triterpene fraction (ganoderic acids and related lanostane-type compounds, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective). Dual-extraction approaches (hot-water + alcohol) are used to capture both fractions in a single preparation. Clinical evidence is strongest for adjuvant immune-modulation use in oncology supportive care.
Excerpt from the published abstract. Full paper at the journal link below.
Joe's notes
How to read this paper
The chapter is a solid overview, freely available from NCBI Bookshelf. Read it for the dual-extraction rationale alone — explains why a credible reishi product uses both hot-water and alcohol extracts.
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