Development of Ling-zhi industry in China – emanated from the artificial cultivation in the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS)

Abstract

Ling-zhi is a medicinal herb that generally refers to a fungus in the genus Ganoderma. It has been used as a medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years. Mycologists at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) first artificially cultivated the Ling-zhi fruiting body in the late 1960s (X.J. Liu’s team). In IMCAS, different research teams have extensively studied Ling-zhi in the aspects of national resource surveys, systematic taxonomy, chemical analysis, and processing for medicinal and health applications. The research results from IMCAS have provided essential support and prompted the development of the Ling-zhi industry in China to some extent. This review aims to summarize the history of research on Ling-zhi in IMCAS and its role in the development of the Ling-zhi economy.

Valorization of Olive By-Products as Substrates for the Cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus Mushrooms with Enhanced Functional and Prebiotic Properties

“…The control substrate (BS) provided significant higher values in respect to the other treatments, while only BS:OLPR 3:1 exhibited a satisfactory performance among all substrates containing olive by-products. The use of hardwood sawdust or cereal straw, cotton seed husk, and corn cobs is common in the commercial production of G. lucidum [36][37][38]. However, the highly increased market demand during the last twenty years led to the exploitation of several other substrates, which demonstrated an increase in BE of up to 40% by replacing part of the sawdust by residues such as stillage grain from rice-spirit distilleries or tea wastes [39,40].…”

Intraspecific Variation and Phylogenetic Relationships Are Revealed by ITS1 Secondary Structure Analysis and Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism in Ganoderma lucidum

“…Ganoderma lucidum (Chizhi) is a wood-rotting fungus that is also a prestigious medicine [1] and has been continuously used in Asia for approximately two thousand years [2]. The active ingredients of Ganoderma lucidum , extracted using hot water or ethanol, include polysaccharides [3–5], proteins [6,7] and ganoderic acid [8,9].…”

“…Therefore, it has been widely planted and used in human health products, such as dietary supplements. The worldwide trade value of Ganoderma lucidum and its derived products is approximately 2.5 billion US dollars per year [2]. Due to the high demand of medical use and the potential profits, the identification and quality control of Ganoderma lucidum is a critical point for further industry development.…”

Comparison of multielemental composition of Polish and Chinese mushrooms (Ganoderma spp.)

“…Chinese species were also generally more nutritious as regards mineral content, significantly higher levels of Fe, K, Mn, Mg, and P were found. China has a long history of Ganoderma use and cultivation and currently is the greatest producer of these mushrooms worldwide [56]. At the same time, environmental pollution in China is a matter of concern and may likely be linked to increased levels of contaminants used for Ganoderma production.…”