SAFETY OF GANODERMA LUCIDUM EXTRACT

这个子项目是众多研究子项目之一

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Ganoderma lucidum is an herbal medicine commonly used in oriental countries as a remedy for treating various medical conditions. In this clinical study, we tested the safety of oral intake of Ganoderma lucidum in 16 human volunteers. The human subjects received 2 grams of the herbal extract or placebo twice daily for 10 consecutive days. During the study, information from subjective questionnaires indicating their well-being were obtained, and several different laboratory tested were performed. In addition, blood tests reflecting immunity or body resistance to certain illness were done. Our study results showed that compared to placebo group, no adverse effects were observed after the herbal extract intake. Due to relatively small number of subject participated in this study, the immunity test results were not conclusive, and thus, remains to be re-evaluated in the future. Our study also suggested that an additional long-term safety clinical trial with higher herbal dose is needed.