Analysis Of The Mycochemicals Components Of The Indigenous Namibian Ganoderma Mushrooms

Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) Karst. (Ganodermataceae) is a natural scarce basidiomycetous polypore fungus that has a variety of uses such as providing nutrition and as a medical remedy. It has been used in the Asian countries for many years to treat a wide range of ailments with polysaccharides, triterpenes, sterols, lectins and proteins as major active constituents. However, in Namibia, the traditional usage of the Ganoderma mushrooms have been used to relieve stress, calm nerves, heal cold and flu symptoms, treat skin infections and heal wounds. It is also used in the treatment of animal diseases such as lung sickness in cattle, coughing animals and skin rushes in goats. It is for this reason that there is a need for scientific validation of the traditional usage of Ganoderma mushroom as medicine in Namibia. Thus, it will be more desirable to know the mycochemical compounds profile of the indigenous Ganoderma mushrooms and to validate the antibacterial properties of certain Gram + and Gram – bacteria used in the treatment of skin infection and wounds. The fruit bodies of the indigenous Namibian Ganoderma mushrooms were collected from decaying tree stumps, barks, and decomposing roots from the four regions in the north and northeastern Namibia. The indigenous mushrooms’ mycochemical compounds where extracted with aqueous and a series of organic solvents. The classes of compounds present in the crude extracts of the indigenous Ganoderma mushrooms were determined through colour reaction detection of the universal spraying reagents on the TLC. The TLC chemical tests of the crude extracts showed that they contained compounds which stained blue–violet, and blue or green when sprayed with anisaldehyde–sulphuric acid, Vanillin sulphur acid reagent and Dragendorff, respectively indicating the presence of triterpenoids. Other classes of compounds detected were the alkaloids, phenols, anthracenes, lipids, flavonoids and polysaccharides making up the Namibian Ganoderma mycochemical class of compounds. The major groups of the extracts components detected where the polysaccharides and triterpenes group of compounds