Reishi, Ganoderma sp,,, has been known in Japan, China, and other countries as a food and raw material for the development of drugs. Recent studies have shown that the carcinostatic substance in Reishi is a polysaccharide, β-(l-->3)-D-glucan. This polysaccharide seems to haye promise as a new type of carcinostatic agent which might be useful in immunotherapy. Unlike chemicals used in chemotherapy, it has few toxic side effects because its effect is based on immuno-logical enhancement in the host. Reishi also seems to contain other substances which reduce blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels; and inhibit platelet aggregation, etc. Some lanostane triterpenoids have been isolated from Ganoderma lucidum and G. applanatum, and drimane sesquiter-penoids from Cryptoporus volvatus. These are highly oxidized compounds which show interesting biological activities
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