Therapeutic potential of the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum in metabolic syndrome: Antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hepatoprotective activities

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Ganoderma lucidum mycelium on biochemical parameters altered in rats with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome. Following administration of the mycelium, assessments were conducted on glycemic status—including fructosamine levels, glucose and starch tolerance, and areas under the glycemic curves—as well as liver function markers such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Oxidative stress indicators were also evaluated, including the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and protein oxidative modification products. Additionally, the mycelium’s in vitro inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase were examined. The findings demonstrated that G. lucidum mycelium possesses antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant properties, contributing to the normalization of metabolic parameters and attenuation of oxidative liver damage.