Exploring New Knowledge | Professor Chen Biao’s team from Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing confirms: Ganoderma lucidum protects dopamine neurons and alleviates Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

The onset of Parkinson's disease

When Parkinson’s disease is mentioned, most people immediately think of involuntary tremors in the hands. In fact, it’s not just hand tremors—other common and typical symptoms include stiff limbs, slowed movements, and a lack of balance that often leads to falls. The root of these problems lies in the brain.
The brain relies on a neurotransmitter called “dopamine” as a mediator to freely regulate limb movements. Dopamine is secreted by specialized nerve cells—known as “dopaminergic neurons”—which are primarily located in the “substantia nigra pars compacta,” deep within the brain. Parkinson’s disease arises precisely because a large number of these dopaminergic neurons die, leading to a severe shortage of dopamine.
Once the disease sets in, dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra compacta will continue to decline steadily, and the condition will only grow progressively worse. Since there are currently no medications available to reverse the disease progression, the primary clinical treatment strategy has become to slow down the rate of death of dopamine neurons.

The potential of Lingzhi as seen from clinical trials

Does Lingzhi mushroom help patients with Parkinson’s disease?

A study published in April 2019 in Acta Pharmacologica Sinica—a Chinese journal of pharmacology—is worth everyone’s attention. The research was conducted by a team led by Professor Chen Biao, chief physician of the Department of Neurology at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University in Beijing and also director of the Parkinson’s Disease Research and Treatment Center.

In this report, the research team stated that they had previously conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 300 patients with Parkinson’s disease to evaluate the efficacy of Ganoderma lucidum extract.

The subjects’ disease progression ranged from Stage 1 (symptoms appearing on one side of the body) to Stage 4 (requiring assistance with daily activities but still able to walk independently). After two years of follow-up, it was found that daily oral administration of 4 grams of reishi extract could slow down the rate of deterioration in motor dysfunction among these patients.

Inspired by people’s practical experience and building on previous research that has demonstrated Ganoderma lucidum’s ability to protect nerve cells, they were motivated to further explore Ganoderma lucidum’s effects on Parkinson’s disease through animal and cell-based experiments.

Parkinson's disease mice fed with Ganoderma lucidum

The rate of decline in limb movements is relatively slow.

The Lingzhi used in the experiment is Lingzhi ( Ganoderma lucidum The preparation made from fruiting-body extract contains 10% polysaccharides, 0.3–0.4% ganoderic acid A, and 0.3–0.4% ergosterol.

First, the researchers injected mice with the neurotoxin MPTP to induce symptoms similar to those seen in human Parkinson’s disease. Then, they fed the mice with Ganoderma lucidum extract at a daily dose of 400 mg/kg for four consecutive weeks. After this treatment period, the researchers assessed the mice’s ability to coordinate limb movements using the “balance beam walking test” and the “rotating wheel treadmill test.”

The results showed that, compared to Parkinson’s disease mice without Ganoderma lucidum protection, Parkinson’s disease mice fed Ganoderma lucidum were able to traverse the balance beam more quickly and maintained a longer running duration on the treadmill—indeed, their performance was comparable to that of the control group of normal mice (Figure 1). This suggests that continuous use of Ganoderma lucidum extract can help alleviate the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Figure 1: Effect of 4-week consumption of Ganoderma lucidum on limb movements in Parkinson’s disease mice

Parkinson's disease mice fed with Ganoderma lucidum

Dopamine neurons are less damaged.

Brain tissues were collected from the experimental mice mentioned above for analysis. The results showed that in Parkinson’s disease mice fed Reishi mushroom, the number of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra compacta and the striatum was more than twice as high as in diseased mice not protected by Reishi (Figure 2).

Although dopamine neurons in the brain are primarily concentrated in the substantia nigra pars compacta, dopamine neurons from this region extend all the way to the striatum. The dopamine secreted by the substantia nigra pars compacta is first delivered to the striatum for action before being transmitted further downward. Therefore, the abundance of dopamine neurons in these two regions is crucial to the development of Parkinson’s disease.

It is evident from the experimental results shown in Figure 2 that, in Parkinson’s disease mice already exhibiting symptoms, Ganoderma lucidum extract can simultaneously protect dopamine neurons in both the substantia nigra compacta and the striatum. This protective effect, to some extent, also explains why Parkinson’s disease mice fed Ganoderma lucidum show better limb motor function.

Figure 2: The effect of 4-week consumption of Ganoderma lucidum on dopamine neurons in the brains of Parkinson’s disease mice.

[Note] Figure C shows a stained section of mouse brain tissue. The colored areas represent dopamine neurons; the darker the color, the greater the number of dopamine neurons. Figures A and B are quantitative analyses of dopamine neurons based on Figure C.

Ganoderma lucidum protects the survival of nerve cells.

Also maintains mitochondrial function.

To understand how Ganoderma lucidum extract protects dopamine neurons, the researchers conducted further in vitro cell experiments. The results showed that when the neurotoxin MMP was applied... ⁺ When cultured together with mouse neural cells, not only does this lead to extensive cell death, but it also causes widespread mitochondrial dysfunction within the cells (Figure 3).

Mitochondria are often referred to as the "cell's powerhouses," serving as the energy source that fuels cellular functions. When mitochondria fall into a state of dysfunction, not only does their energy production (ATP) plummet, but they also release increased amounts of free radicals, accelerating cellular aging and death.

The above-mentioned issues will evolve along with MMP. ⁺ The duration of action is prolonged and becomes more severe; however, if the protective effect of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body extract is present simultaneously, MMP can be counteracted. ⁺ has reduced cytotoxicity, preserving more neuronal cells and functionally intact mitochondria (Figure 3).

In addition, the researchers also conducted experiments using newborn mouse brain neurons and found that the neurotoxin MMP... ⁺ It can slow down the movement of mitochondria within nerve cells; however, under the protection of Ganoderma lucidum extract, mitochondrial movement becomes more agile. The faster the mitochondria move, the smoother the transmission of nerve signals—and this may also be one of the reasons why Parkinson’s patients or mice that consume Ganoderma lucidum exhibit improved mobility.

Figure 3: Protective Effects of Ganoderma lucidum on Neuronal Cells and Mitochondria in Mice

[Note] Figure A shows the mortality rate of cultured mouse neurons in vitro, which increases with the neurotoxin MMP. ⁺ (The effect of a 1 mM dose) becomes more pronounced as the duration of exposure increases, leading to a higher rate of cell death. However, when Ganoderma lucidum extract (at a concentration of 800 μg/mL) is added simultaneously, the cell death rate is significantly reduced. Figure B shows mitochondria within the cells: normally functioning mitochondria exhibit red fluorescence, whereas mitochondria with impaired function display green fluorescence. The greater and stronger the green fluorescence, the more mitochondria are exhibiting functional abnormalities.

If you can't end the illness, learn to live with it.

Having reached this point, I wonder if you’ve realized how truly remarkable ganoderma extract is— it can even protect dopamine neurons deep within the brain!

Professor Chen Biao’s research findings indicate that the reason why Ganoderma lucidum extract can reduce damage to dopamine neurons is, on the one hand, that it helps maintain the function and quality of mitochondria, thereby preventing nerve cells from having their lifespan shortened due to the accumulation of mitochondria with too many defects. On the other hand, it inhibits the activation of mechanisms that trigger apoptosis and autophagy, thus reducing the likelihood of nerve cells self-destructing.

The ability of Ganoderma lucidum to take a multi-pronged approach and “tug-of-war” with Parkinson’s disease should not be underestimated. However, as demonstrated by the aforementioned animal and clinical studies, although Ganoderma lucidum can slow down the progression of the disease, it is currently still unable to eradicate the root cause. Therefore, in the context of Parkinson’s disease, Ganoderma lucidum extracts should serve as a long-term companion, providing continuous and sustained protection.

If we can’t put an end to the disease, let’s learn to live peacefully with it and reduce its interference with our bodies and our lives. That’s precisely the meaning of Ganoderma lucidum in the context of Parkinson’s disease.

[Source] Source: Ren ZL, et al. Ganoderma lucidum Extract ameliorates MPTP-induced parkinsonism and protects dopaminergic neurons from oxidative stress by regulating mitochondrial function, autophagy, and apoptosis. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2019 Apr;40(4):441-450.
 

[About the Author / Wu Tingyao]
Having reported firsthand on Ganoderma lucidum since 1999, he continues to do so to this day and is the author of “Ganoderma: Marvelous Beyond Words” (published by People’s Medical Publishing House in April 2017).

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