Macromolecular Polysaccharides
Macromolecular Polysaccharides contain glucose as a composition unit, and are beta-glucans. When ganoderma is ingested, the digestive system is unable to decompose it into small molecules (i.e glucose) for the body to absorb; however, the chemical structure beta-glucan enables it to combine with the receptor on the surface of the lymph inside the villi and so initiate a series of immune functions. Due to their huge molecular masses, they can be likened to a massive stimulus possessing diverse functions to stimulate receptors when they enter the human body.
(i) Immunity Enhancement
In 2006, Professor Bor-Luen Chiang and his co-workers at National Taiwan University (NTU) announced that Polysaccharide of Ganoderma could activate dendritic cells (a type of phagocyte in humans. Once the dendritic cells are activated by the stimulation of ganoderma polysaccharides, then the T cells which act as the commander of the immune system are more likely to develop into type 1 T helper cells (TH1). The function of Th1 cells is to stimulate the immune system to defend against virus infections, thus fulfilling its purpose in ‘immunity enhancement’.
(ii) Anti-oxidation
In 2002, the research team discovered that when peritoneal macrophages in mice were damaged by oxidation, ganoderma polysaccharides could protect these macrophages and prolong their life cycle. This is due to the production of free radicals by macrophages during the process of phagocytosis, resulting in a gradual reduction in their life cycle. Therefore, if the free radicals produced by macrophages could be eliminated, it would be possible to lengthen the lifespan of the macrophages.
It has been observed, by using electron microscopy, that ganoderma polysaccharides (100mg/Kg) can protect organelle (such as mitochondria) in the macrophages of mice from oxidation damage, and this verifies ganoderma polysaccharides’ prominent function in the anti-oxidation process.
