Research by Associate Professor Kuniyoshi Shimizu, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan, found that a variety of triterpenoids contained in Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting bodies can inhibit influenza virus, and Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body hot water extract can also reduce the severity of influenza in mice. These research results provide us with the best reference for how to survive in the cracks between the "influenza" and the "novel coronavirus". Instead of making effort at the last moment, why not be fully prepared from now on?

The easing of the Covid-19 epidemic has just made people breathe a sigh of relief. The coming of influenza season also hinted that the challenge of a dual pincer attack of novel coronavirus (viral pneumonia) and influenza virus (viral pneumonia) lies ahead, and even Streptococcus pneumoniae (bacterial pneumonia) may join the melee.

As influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae have not had a large-scale outbreak for two years, many experts are worried about the severe situation of "triple pincer killing" at the end of the year. Therefore, they solemnly remind the public to attach great importance to the current situation, that is, it is best to get three kinds of vaccines to exercise the immune system early in order to reduce the likelihood and severity of infection.

In addition, there is another way of self-preservation worth sharing with you, that is to eat Ganoderma lingzhi.

A variety of Ganoderma lingzhi triterpenoids have antiviral activity similar to that of Tamiflu.

In 2015, the research team of Associate Professor Kuniyoshi Shimizu, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan published a study in Scientific Reports, which confirmed that a variety of triterpenoids contained in Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting bodies can inhibit the activity of neuraminidase on the surface of influenza A viruses such as H1N1 and H5N1.

Neuraminidase is one of the two proteins protruding on the surface of influenza A virus. Each influenza virus has about one hundred of these proteases. When the virus invades the cell and uses the material in the cell to replicate new virus particles, Neuraminidase is needed for the new virus particles to break away from the cell and further infect other cells.

Therefore, when neuraminidase loses its activity, the new virus will be locked in the cell and cannot escape, the threat to the host will be reduced, and the disease can be controlled. The commonly used Tamiflu (scientific name: oseltamivir, trade name: Tamiflu) in clinical practice is to use this principle to prevent the proliferation and spread of the virus.

The ones in red are Ganoderma lingzhi triterpenoids that can inhibit neuraminidase activity, including a variety of ganoderic acids, ganoderenic acids and lucialdehydes. They are the backing of Ganoderma lingzhi against influenza A. (Photo provided by Kuniyoshi Shimizu)

Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body hot water extract can reduce the severity of H1N1 disease.

In 2017, the team published the following findings in the Journal of Functional Foods: within 21 days of nasal administration of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body hot water extract (50 μg) mixed with H1N1 virus to the mice, the mice experienced from infection to recovery, and their body weight did not decrease seriously but bottomed out and recovered significantly (Figure A), and their weight loss was 55.1% less than that of mice with influenza receiving no Ganoderma lingzhi protection.

Since the degree of weight loss and the speed of recovery reflect the severity of the disease in the mice, the experimental results show that the hot water extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting bodies can help mice fight influenza.

The researchers also did another experiment: from the day before infection, mice were given orally twice a day with hot water extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body (2 g/kg each time) for 5 consecutive days. As a result, despite the fact that the mice’s body weight reached the bottom at the previous rate and level, but the recovery speed of their weight bottoming out and rebounding has become slightly faster (Figure B), and their weight loss is also 13.8% less than that of mice with influenza receiving no Ganoderma lingzhi protection.

Since the hot water extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body used in the experiment contains 0.59% triterpenoids and 32.1% polysaccharides while the 50% inhibition concentrations (IC50) that reduces H1N1 and H5N1 neuraminidase activities in vitro are 15 μg/mL and 1.5 μg/mL respectively, the researchers believe that the anti-influenza effect of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body hot water extract is mainly derived from the immune function enhancement provided by Ganoderma lingzhi polysaccharides and should also be related to some Ganoderma lingzhi triterpenoids that inhibit virus activity.

Instead of making effort at the last moment, why not prepare in advance?

The animal experiment of "making effort at the last moment" showed us the potential of the hot water extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body to reduce the severity of influenza. Since the normal mice under the experiment (without being infected) were given Ganoderma lingzhi orally or nasally, their weight change after 21 days was almost the same as that of another group of normal mice fed with no Ganoderma lingzhi. The researchers therefore believe that Ganoderma lingzhi has certain safety against influenza.

Influenza virus infects mice through the respiratory tract, so administering the hot water extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body through the nasal cavity can directly protect and stimulate the mucosal immunity of the respiratory tract. Naturally, it will work faster and better than through intestinal immunity.

Moreover, just like vaccines that need at least two weeks to induce antibodies and stimulate immunity, Ganoderma lingzhi polysaccharides that function through the digestive tract also take some time to increase the immune system’s antiviral ability to a certain level; for Ganoderma lingzhi triterpenoids to show their antiviral activity, a certain amount must be reached first. Therefore, if you eat Ganoderma lingzhi before and after infection and only eat the hot water extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting bodies, the protective effect will be restricted.

In summary, when influenza is all around us, protection with Ganoderma lingzhi is definitely better than protection without Ganoderma lingzhi. But if you can usually nip in the bud by eating both the water extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body rich in polysaccharides and the ethanol extract of Ganoderma lingzhi fruiting body rich in triterpenoids to combine the immune enhancement effect of polysaccharides with the strong anti-virus activity of triterpenoids, you will definitely find Ganoderma lingzhi more effective whether in preventing influenza or reducing the severity of influenza and even capable of preventing other viruses.

Of course, we also look forward to the emergence of nasal spray or drop preparations of Ganoderma lingzhi in combined use with oral preparations of Ganoderma lingzhi to fully upgrade the defensive lines from the "mucosal immunity" in the frontline to the "intestinal immunity" in the rear for a comprehensive protection.

Source

1. Qinchang Zhu, et al. Inhibition of neuraminidase by Ganoderma triterpenoids and implications for neuraminidase inhibitor design. Sci Rep. 2015; 5: 13194.

2. Qinchang Zhu, et al. Anti-influenza effects of Ganoderma lingzhi: An animal study. J Funct Foods. 2017; 34: 224-28.

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★ The original text of this article was written in Chinese by Wu Tingyao and translated into English by Alfred Liu. If there is any discrepancy between the translation (English) and the original (Chinese), the original Chinese shall prevail. If readers have any questions, please contact the original author, Ms. Wu Tingyao.