According to a research report jointly published by Professor Li Peng, Professor Wei Xiaoxia, Professor Xu Jianhua, and others from the School of Pharmacy at Fujian Medical University in the 9th issue of 2011 of "Chinese Journal of Modern Applied Pharmacy," Ganoderma extract, whose main active ingredient is triterpenes, exhibits a significant inhibitory effect on liver cancer cells and liver tumors. 。
(This image is taken from China National Knowledge Infrastructure.)
The Ganoderma lucidum material used in the experiment is: Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies provided by Fujian GanoHerb Biotechnology Co., Ltd. The extract obtained from it is referred to as GLE for short. One gram of GLE is equivalent to 93 grams of the crude drug, among which... The content of ganoderic triterpenes is 56.7%. 。
The animal experiments were conducted as follows:
First, the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (H22) was implanted subcutaneously into mice. The next day after implantation, low, medium, and high doses of GLE—125 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg per day—were administered via gavage.
At the same time, a separate untreated negative control group was established, as well as a positive control group receiving the chemotherapeutic drug cyclophosphamide (administered by gavage at 30 mg/kg once every three days) for comparison with the preceding three groups.
Each of the five groups of liver-cancer mice consisted of 10 animals. After 7 days of treatment, the tumor weights in the low-, medium-, and high-dose GLE groups were reduced by 30.1%, 41.7%, and 59.3%, respectively, compared to the untreated negative control group. Notably, the efficacy of the high-dose GLE was already quite close to that of the chemotherapy drug, which achieved an inhibition rate of 66.1% (as shown in the table below).
The above experimental results at least indicate two things:
First, the Ganoderma lucidum extract GLE can indeed inhibit tumor growth after being digested in the gastrointestinal tract.
Second, the tumor-inhibitory effect of Ganoderma lucidum extract GLE is directly proportional to the dosage of GLE used.
Why does GLE, a ganoderma extract rich in triterpenes, exert an anti-liver-cancer effect in the body? Is this effect related to the ability of ganoderma triterpenes to inhibit cancer cell proliferation? Or could it be that other components in GLE enhance the immune system’s anticancer capabilities? The true underlying mechanisms still require further research and analysis by scientists.
However, this experiment at least lets us know that, Extracts from Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies are highly effective in inhibiting the growth of liver cancer tumors. Moreover, the concentration of ganoderic triterpenes in this extract, as well as the dosage per intake, should be key factors influencing the efficacy.
The reason malignant tumors pose a threat to life is that cancer cells invade such a wide area that they can paralyze the normal functioning of tissues and organs. If we can limit tumor growth and enable tissues and organs to continue meeting the body’s metabolic needs, there’s a good chance we can “live with cancer in a high-quality way.”
Of course, the key is to strike a balance between effectively suppressing the tumor and minimizing harm to healthy cells. Otherwise, once even the very “foundation upon which life depends” has been completely depleted, no matter how thoroughly cancer cells are eradicated, it will all be meaningless.
[References]
Li Peng, Wei Xiaoxia, Xu Jianhua. Experimental Study on the Antitumor Effects of Ganoderma Lucidum Extract Chinese Journal of Modern Applied Pharmacy, 2011, 28(9): 798-792.
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