Influence of Ganoderma lucidum on blood biochemistry and immunocompetence in horses

The characteristic ingredients of Ganoderma lucidum, such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, nucleic acids and small proteins, have been found and proved to have many special pharmacological properties. Mice and rats have been extensively used to investigate the effects of G. lucidum. Experiments with horses as an animal model for investigating the effects of G. lucidum have never been reported. The purpose of this investigation was to understand the influence of G. lucidum feeding on blood biochemistry and immunocompetence in horses. Complete blood count (CBC) and blood biochemistry were surveyed routinely. Cellular-mediated immunity was monitored by flow cytometry to survey the percentage changes of CD5+, CD4+, CD8+ T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). The effect of G. lucidum on humoral immunity was experimented by fast plate agglutination test to survey the change and manifestation of the titer of specific anti-egg albumin antibodies in the serum after egg albumin injection. The findings on CBC and blood biochemistry indicated that G. lucidum was quite safe to horses. Experimental result on cell-mediated immunity showed that G. lucidum could increase the percentage of CD5+, CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes in PBLs (p < 0.001). Experimental result on humoral immunity showed that G. lucidum could help the horses to produce a significantly higher quantity of specific antibodies in a shorter time (p < 0.001).