Preventive and Therapeutic Effect of Ganoderma (Lingzhi) on Brain Injury

Neurological dysfunction and death are common events leading to acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease account for a significant and increasing proportion of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Lingzhi), one of highly nutritious and significantly effective medicinal herbs, has been used for clinical applications for thousands of years. Several researches have shown that it has a wide range of brain damage protection, such as amelioration of Alzheimer's disease, therapeutic effect on epilepsy, and the protective effect on neural cells in stroke injury. This chapter reviews the neuroprotective effects of G. lucidum and its extracts on brain injury diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, epilepsy, and other neurodegenerative diseases, and the potential clinical applications.