Possible Use of Ganoderma Mushroom Extracts for the Treatment of Some Chronic Risk Factors Associated with Severe Covid-19

Abstract

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019 causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The disease has caused a pandemic that had disrupted social and economic life globally. Intense research is ongoing to understand the nature of the virus and pathogenesis as well as the development of drugs and vaccines. Ample evidence suggests that the elderly people, those with pre-existing chronic medical conditions, such as lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, compromised immunity and even men may be at higher risk of serious illness and intensive care. The virus tends to trigger the over-production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which results in multiorgan damage, resulting in death. Following this review, we proposed the use of Ganoderma mushroom extracts, which have certain properties relevant to the management of COVID-19 complications including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, immune modulatory, and antioxidant, anti-aging and multiorgan protection. Most of this research has been done on rodent models with few clinical trials. Since, the mushroom is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) and have been used for centuries in Asian traditional medicine, we recommend the use of this mushroom in the management of the disease including as active ingredients in COVID-19 drugs, and alternatives to synthetic drugs, health supplements, adjuvant therapy or functional foods.