Biological activity of Ganoderma lucidum basidiocarps cultivated on alternative and commercial substrate

Ganoderma lucidum (W. Curt.:Fr.) P. Karst. has been used for several thousand years in traditional medicine of the Far East for the treatment of a various diseases including: cancer, immunological disorders, hepatitis, arthritis, nephritis, bronchitis, asthma etc. Ganoderma species are natural sources of various antimicrobial, antioxidant and antitumor active compounds which can be alternative to commercial antibiotics, antimycotics, antioxidants and cytostatics. As the amount of wild Ganoderma lucidum basidiocarps is not sufficient, the aim of this study was to compare the bioactivity of basidiaocarps obtained on alternative substrate (wheat straw) with commercially cultivated ones.

Antimicrobial potential of the tested Ganoderma lucidum extracts was studied by disc-diffusion and microdilution method. Cytotoxic effect of tested extracts on two cancer cell lines was determined by microculture tetrazolium test. DPPH scavenging ability, total phenols and flavonoids content were measured in order to determine the antioxidative potential of Ganoderma lucidum extracts.

Ganoderma lucidum BEOFB 434 extract was the most effective antibacterial agent, while commercial strain was the weakest. DPPH· scavenging activity of extracts of basidiocarps from alternative substrate was also significantly higher than that of commercially obtained basidiocarps. The extracts of Ganoderma lucidum BEOFB 431 exhibited the strongest cytotoxic activity significantly higher than those in commercial strain.

The study showed that fruiting bodies produced on one of the most accessible and cheapest crop residue, wheat straw, are better antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic agents than those obtained on conventional substrate, oak sawdust.