<i>Ganoderma lucidum</i> Polysaccharide Strengthens Antioxidant Defense Systems against Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress in Liver of Mice

Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum(G. lucidum), a medicinal fungus called ‘‘Lingzhi’’ in China is one of the most famous fungi in traditional Chinese medicine. For hundreds of years, this mushroom has been known as a traditional remedy for treatment of several diseases, such as hepatitis, hypertension, chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, cancer and others. Polysaccharide is an important pharmacological ingredient extracted from fruit bodies and mycelium ofG. lucidum. It has been extensively documented thatG. lucidumpolysaccharides (Gl-PS) had wide bioactivities, such as anti-aging, anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic activities [1]. In our previous studies, Gl-PS has been proven to have significant anti-hypoxia and anti-fatigue effects in mice [2], which suggesting that it might be beneficial to exercise-induced oxidative stress. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Gl-PS against exercise-induced oxidative stress in liver of mice.