Ganoderma lucidum reduces obesity in mice by modulating the composition of the gut microbiota

Chih-Jung Chang; Chuan-Sheng Lin; Chia-Chen Lu; Jan Martel; Yun-Fei Ko; David M Ojcius; Shun-Fu Tseng; Tsung-Ru Wu; Yi-Yuan Margaret Chen; John D Young; Hsin-Chih Lai

doi:10.1038/ncomms8489

Ganoderma lucidum reduces obesity in mice by modulating the composition of the gut microbiota

Nat Commun. 2015 Jun 23:6:7489. doi: 10.1038/ncomms8489.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ 1] Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [2] Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [3] Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC [4] Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [5] Research Center of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC.
² 1] Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [2] Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [3] Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC [4] Research Center of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Department of Respiratory Therapy, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC.
⁵ 1] Chang Gung Biotechnology Corporation, Taipei 10508, Taiwan, ROC [2] Biochemical Engineering Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, Taishan, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan, ROC.
⁶ 1] Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [2] Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of the Pacific, Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California 94103, USA.
⁷ Research Center of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC.
⁸ 1] Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [2] Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC.
⁹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC.
¹⁰ 1] Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Gueishan, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC [2] Chang Gung Biotechnology Corporation, Taipei 10508, Taiwan, ROC [3] Biochemical Engineering Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, Taishan, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan, ROC [4] Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.

Abstract

Obesity is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation and intestinal dysbiosis. Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine with putative anti-diabetic effects. Here, we show that a water extract of Ganoderma lucidum mycelium (WEGL) reduces body weight, inflammation and insulin resistance in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Our data indicate that WEGL not only reverses HFD-induced gut dysbiosis-as indicated by the decreased Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratios and endotoxin-bearing Proteobacteria levels-but also maintains intestinal barrier integrity and reduces metabolic endotoxemia. The anti-obesity and microbiota-modulating effects are transmissible via horizontal faeces transfer from WEGL-treated mice to HFD-fed mice. We further show that high molecular weight polysaccharides (>300 kDa) isolated from the WEGL extract produce similar anti-obesity and microbiota-modulating effects. Our results indicate that G. lucidum and its high molecular weight polysaccharides may be used as prebiotic agents to prevent gut dysbiosis and obesity-related metabolic disorders in obese individuals.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteroides / drug effects
Body Weight / drug effects
Diet, High-Fat
Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology*
Dysbiosis / metabolism
Dysbiosis / microbiology
Endotoxemia
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
Firmicutes / drug effects
Fungal Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects*
Inflammation / metabolism
Inflammation / microbiology
Insulin Resistance*
Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
Intestines / drug effects
Mice
Obesity / metabolism
Obesity / microbiology*
Permeability / drug effects
Plant Extracts / pharmacology
Proteobacteria / drug effects
Reishi*

Substances

Drugs, Chinese Herbal
Fungal Polysaccharides
Plant Extracts

Associated data

SRA/SRP057860