Triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum and Their Potential Anti-inflammatory Effects

Ganoderma lucidum, as food, tea, dietary supplement, and medicine, is widely used in China and Eastern Asian countries. In order to discover its anti-inflammatory constituents and provide some references for the usage of G. lucidum and G. sinense, two official species in China, the fruiting bodies of G. lucidum were studied, leading to the isolation of six new triterpenoids (1-6) and 27 known analogues (7-33). Compound 4 exhibited the most potent inhibition on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The production of IL-6 and IL-1β, as well as the expression of iNOS, COX-2, and NF-κB were dose-dependently reduced by 4. The phosphorylations of IκBα and IKKβ in LPS-induced macrophage cells were blocked by 4. Therefore, 4 could be used as a potential anti-inflammatory candidate and the total triterpenoids might be developed as value-added functional food for the prevention of inflammation. In combination of previous studies, it should be cautious for the interchangeable usage of G. lucidum and G. sinense.