Hepatoprotective activity of Ganoderma lucidium (Curtis) P. Karst against cyclophosphamide-induced liver injury in mice

Abstract This study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective activity of Ganoderma lucidium mushroom growing on the dead ironwood tree in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The total extract was orally administrated to experimental mice with hepatotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide at the dose of 150 mg/kg (intraperitoneal injection). The liver malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the level of endogenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH) were measured. The results revealed that the total extract at the oral doses of 330, 230, and 120 mg/kg body weight which were equivalent to 5, 10, and 15 g/kg of dry material alleviated the increase of heaptic MDA content and restored the decrease of GSH level significantly which almost have the same potent as reference drug (silymarin). Biochemical observations were also supported with histopathological examination of liver. This finding demonstrated that G. lucidium in Vietnam could represent a promising approach for effective liver protective agents.