Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum has been used for promoting longevity and health in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Asian countries. Its pharmacological effects are widely known, as indicated by its inclusion in the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. It was found that G. lucidum contains several bioactive compounds, including triterpenes, polysaccharides, peptidoglycans, flavonoids, sterols, fatty acids and nucleotides. It is well-known medicinal mushroom that has been widely used for the treatment of several chronic diseases. It has been reported that triterpenes are responsible for the major medicinal properties and demonstrated therapeutic efficiency of G. lucidum. The present review mainly focuses on the pharmacological properties of the triterpenes underlying antioxidative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetes and hepatoprotective activities.

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