A Reishi Mushroom Extract Eased Chemo-Induced Gut Damage in an Animal Study
Chemotherapy frequently damages the lining of the gut — a painful, common side effect called mucositis. A new study asked whether an extract from Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), a medicinal mushroom long studied for its β-glucans, might help protect against it. The early answer, in animals, was a qualified yes — with an interesting catch about how the extract is made.
Writing in Pharmaceuticals, dos Santos and colleagues optimized the extraction of Reishi polysaccharides using hot-water extraction and ethanol precipitation (best conditions: 121 °C for 120 minutes, then 90% ethanol). That produced a crude fraction they called Poli-GL; a further freeze-thaw step yielded a soluble fraction, S-Poli-GL, rich in branched β-(1→3),(1→6)-D-glucans (about 43% β-glucan content).
They then tested both fractions in an animal model of chemotherapy- (5-fluorouracil-) induced intestinal mucositis, given by mouth at 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg. The result that matters: the crude fraction (Poli-GL) did not prevent mucositis, but the soluble glucan-rich fraction (S-Poli-GL) significantly reduced the disease-activity index and attenuated intestinal inflammation. In other words, the processing — not just “Reishi” in the abstract — was what separated an inactive extract from an active one.
What this does not show
- This was an animal study, not a human trial. The authors describe S-Poli-GL as a “potential therapeutic candidate” that warrants “further investigation for clinical application” — a starting point, not a proven treatment.
- It does not suggest Reishi treats cancer, replaces any part of cancer care, or that someone undergoing chemotherapy should take a mushroom supplement. Supplements can interact with treatment; that’s a conversation for an oncologist.
- The finding is also a useful reminder that “medicinal mushroom” extracts are not interchangeable — extraction and fractionation changed whether it worked at all.
What’s genuinely interesting here is narrow and real: a specific, well-characterized soluble glucan fraction showed a measurable protective signal in a preclinical model — enough to justify the next, harder studies.
Source
dos Santos, J. F., et al. “Optimized Extraction of Medicinal Mushroom Polysaccharides and Their Protective Effects Against 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Gastrointestinal Mucositis.” Pharmaceuticals (2026). doi:10.3390/ph19060946
ShroomWire Research Desk · AI-assisted, human-reviewed · persona: Spore. We report what research may suggest and what it does not prove.
