Ganoderma lucidum spore oil with Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma sinense extracts (G2SO) shows antitumor and Immunomodulatory effects in mice

TL;DR

A formulation of Ganoderma spore oil and extracts shows antitumor effects and boosts immune function in mice.

Contribution

The study demonstrates the antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of a new Ganoderma-based formulation in mice.

Findings

G2SO inhibited 4T1 tumors in mice by 35.31 ± 9.51%.

G2SO enhanced innate immune functions like NK cell cytotoxicity and macrophage phagocytosis.

Adaptive immunity markers were increased, though cytokine responses showed no significant changes.

Abstract

Ganoderma is a highly valued medicinal fungus, especially in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). A formulation of Ganoderma lucidum spore oil and aqueous extracts from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma sinense (G2SO) has been developed as a functional formulation proposed to support immune function and tumor control. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor activity and immunomodulatory effects of G2SO in mice. A tumor-bearing mouse model was established using 4T1 cells in BALB/c mice for antitumor evaluation. Immunomodulatory outcomes were evaluated in ICR mice after 30 days of oral administration. The results showed that the inhibition rate of G2SO on 4T1 tumors in the tumor-bearing mice was 35.31 ± 9.51%. Moreover, G2SO produced small but statistically significant enhancements of innate immune function in mice, including natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity and macrophage phagocytosis. Indices of adaptive immunity (hemolysin production and ConA-induced T-cell proliferation) were also increased, whereas LPS-stimulated cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nitric oxide (NO) in RAW264.7 cells showed downward tendencies that were largely not significant. Overall, G2SO exhibits modest immunomodulatory activity together with measurable antitumor efficacy in vivo within the limits of the study design. These findings support further preclinical and clinical evaluation of G2SO as a functional formulation to support cancer prevention and immunomodulation.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-34803-9.

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