Ganoderma lucidum: an emerging nutritional approach to manage depression

Depression is a highly prevalent neuropsychiatric illness that significantly reduces the quality of life of the patients. While psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy remain the most common treatments, their limitations, including treatment resistance and adverse side effects, have driven interest in alternative therapies to complement conventional antidepressant therapies. Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum), a medicinal mushroom, is gaining attention for its potential in managing depression symptoms, largely attributed to its bioactive compounds, polysaccharides, and triterpenoids. These compounds collectively exhibit antidepressant-like effects in animal models of depression, mainly acting through mechanisms such as modulating the monoamine neurotransmission system, enhancing BDNF expression, and balancing pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in depressive animals. Furthermore, clinical studies suggest that G. lucidum may alleviate depression-like symptom in humans. This review explores the antidepressant potential of G. lucidum and the mechanisms by which its primary bioactive compounds exert their effects.