Effects of Ganoderma lucidum Supplementation on Obesity and Metabolic Alterations Induced by High-Carbohydrate-High-Fat Diet in Rats

Ganodermalucidum (GL), commonly called Reishi mushroom, has been utilized in traditional medicine against multiple ailments including obesity and metabolic complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the powdered supplementation of GL (2.5% w/w of diet) and its ability to ameliorate obesity and associated metabolic alterations in high-carbohydrate-high-fat (HCHF) diet–fed obese female Wistar rats. Thus, after 56 days of feeding the mice with different treatments, we measured physiological parameters to evaluate the effect. Phytochemical analysis by HPLC identified the bioactive polyphenols in GL. Results demonstrated that GL supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) prevented the net rise in body weight and reduced organ weights and abdominal fat deposition in obese rats. It improved glucose intolerance, decreasing blood glucose level (6.2 nmol/L) compared to HCHF diet–induced obese rats (8.67 nmol/L). It also significantly ameliorated the plasma lipids parameters including total cholesterol (106.4 mg/dL), triglyceride, LDL-C (55.26 mg/dL), and VLDL-C, restored the elevated serum profiles of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and elevated the antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD) (42.58 U/g tissue), catalase (CAT) activities, and glutathione (GSH) (62.63 nmol/g tissue) in obese rats. Furthermore, GL prevented hepatic fat infiltration in HCHF diet–fed rats preventing steatosis. Different bioactive polyphenols including catechin, rutin, cinnamic acid, vanillic acid, quercetin, ferulic acid, and kaempferol were detected in GL by HPLC analysis, which might be responsible for its activity. Bangladeshi cultivated GL possesses antiobesity effect and is rich in phenolics that could prevent obesity-associated metabolic disorders.