Common/Vernacular names:Reishi, lingzhi,
ling zhi cao,ling chi, mannentake, holy mush-
room,chizhi(redlingzhiorG. lucidum),zizhi
(purplelingzhiorC. japonicum), and so on.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Fungi of the polypore family. Part used is the
fruiting body.
The pileus (cap) of G.lucidumis corky,
kidney shaped to semicircular, with a hard
upper surface, yellow at first but gradually
changing to reddish brown, reddish purple, or
dull purple; shiny, with annular grooves or
ridges and radial wrinkles; edges thin, often
curved downward. Cap sizes vary consider-
ably, ranging from 43cmto2010 cm in
area and 0.5–2 cm in thickness. Woody stalk
(stipe) is mostly lateral, 0.5–2.5 cm thick and
up to 19 cm long, purplish brown to black and
shellacked.1,2
The fruiting body ofG. japonicum(purple
lingzhi) resembles closely that ofG. lucidum
(redlingzhi), with cap sizes ranging from
2 1.4 cm to 2020 cm; stalk up to 15 cm
long and 0.9 cm thick. The only major differ-
ence is the dark purple to black colored cap
and stalk ofG.japonicum. However, some old
specimens of redlingzhialso have dark purple
caps and stalks and thus cannot be readily
distinguishedfrom purplelingzhi(JIANGSU).1–3
Both ganodermas are widely distributed in
China, especially along coastal provinces,
growing at stumps and decaying logs of oak
and other broad-leaved trees as well as on
decaying conifers, especiallyTsuga chinensis
(Franch.) Pritz., which is parasitized by
G. lucidum. The latter can also be found on
hardwoods in North America as well as in
Japan and Korea.4,5
The mushrooms are collected in autumn,
washed to rid of dirt, and dried under the sun.^1
They are not processed further.
Although now commercially cultivated
in China, much of the ganoderma is still
gathered wild. The type imported into the
United States is mainly redlingzhi (G. luci-
dum); this species is now mostly cultivated in
America as well as in China, Taiwan, Japan,
and Korea (WANG).
In addition to above two Ganoderma
species, other species of polypores are
occasionally used as substitutes oflingzhi,
includingGanoderma applanatum(Pers. ex
Gray),G. lobatum(Schw.) Atk.,G. capense
(Lloyd) Teng,Fomes pinicola(Swartz ex Fr.)
Cke., Trametes dickinsiiBerk., Polyporus
montanus(Quel.) Freey.,P.grammocephalus
Berk., and Polysticus vernicipes (Berk.)
Cke.2,6
Ganoderma lucidum, G. japonicum,G. ca-
pense, andG.applanatumare used as fungal
sources for the fermentative production of
lingzhibiomass (WANG).CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONMost chemical studies have been performed
on redlingzhi(G. lucidum), including its
spores and cultivated biomass (mycelium).
Hence, unless otherwise stated, the data re-
ported here are from this fungus and its strains,
either wild crafted or cultivated.
Chemical constituents present include
sterols, mainly ergosterol (0.3–0.4%) and er-
gosterol peroxide,b-sitosterol, 24-methylcho-
lesta-7,22-dien-3-b-ol, and other sterol esters,
fungal lysozyme, acid protease, and other
enzymes (laccase, endopolygalacturonase,
cellulase, amylase, etc.); water-soluble pro-
tein, polypeptides; amino acids; trehalose
and other sugars; mannitol; betaine; adeno-
sine; alkanes (tetracosane, hentriacontane);
and fatty acids (tetracosanoic, stearic,
palmitic, nonadecanoic, and behenic acids)
(JIANGSU;WANG).7–19
Triterpenes (mainly lanostane type) in-
cluding ganoderic acids A, B, C, D, E, F,
G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V,
W, X, Y, Z, DM, LM2, SP1, beta,
gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, and
others;20–43lucidenic acids A, B, C, D, E, F,
G, O, P, Q, and others;22,23,27,31,32,44–47lu-
cidones A, B, and C;31,44lucialdehydes;^48
ganolucidic acids A, B, C, D, and E;26,30,31,49
lucidumol A;^43 ganoderal A;^21 ganoderiolsGanoderma 301