The use of Ganoderma lucidum in the management of histamine-mediated allergic responses

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, May, 2006 by Martin Powell

The compound Ganoderic Acid C (Figure 1), isolated by careful fractionation of a non-polar solvent extract of Ganoderma lucidum, was found to account for most of the anti-inflammatory activity from the herb as determined by in vitro tests, such as histamine release from mast cells. (12) An ethyl acetate extract rich in ganoderic acids was later found, by another group of researchers, to exhibit both systemic and topical anti-inflammatory activity in standard animal models, such as the croton, oil-induced, mouse ear inflammation test. (13)

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)'s Immunomodulating Properties

Chemical and Biological Properties

In 2003, the Portuguese Instituto Superior de Engenheria de Lisboa (Biotechnology Section), led by Professor Amin Karmali, conducted an analysis of the enzyme properties of 500 mg of Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) biomass (mycelium and primordia [young fruitbody]. The results are shown in Table 1. Professor Karmali concluded that the immunotherapeutic properties in mushroom nutrition are due to the delivery of the following:

i) Protein-bound polysaccharide complexes responsible for immune enhancement.

ii) Enzymes that both prevent oxidative stress (laccase activity and superoxide dismutase [SOD] activity) and inhibit cell growth (protease activity).

iii) enzymes involved in detoxification process (cytochrome P-450). (14,15)

In summarizing the immunemodulating effects of reishi mushroom polysaccharides, researchers Lin and Lei (1994) state that reishi mushroom polysaccharides significantly promote mixed lymphocyte response, antagonize the inhibitory effects of immunosuppressive and anti-tumor drugs, display a biphasic effect on interleukin (IL)-2 activity, increase both L3T4 and Lyt 2 cell subpopulations (L3T4 and Lyt 2 cells are thymocytes responsible for producing significant quantities of interleukin 2 (IL-2) following mitogen stimulation), enhance cytotoxic activity of T lymphocytes, and promote the secretion of IL-1 in peritoneal exudate cells. Chang (1994) concluded that the polysaccharide fraction, with [beta]-glucans, has stimulatory effects on these white blood cell lines: leukocytes, monocytes, macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), and other lymphocytes. He considers these actions to be responsible for the antiviral, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, granulopoietic, and bactericidal effects that have been reported for reishi mushroom in laboratory animal studies. (16)

Histamine-mediated Allergic Response is a Cytokine TH1 to Cytokine TH2 Shift

The body is considered to be in a "balanced" immune state when there is a constant movement between TH1 and TH2 immune states in a 24-hour period (Table 2). These two arms of the immune system are mutually inhibitory and in a balanced state: the body spends 12 hours in a TH1 state (antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic activities) and then 12 hours in a TH2 state (pro-inflammatory activity).