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Title : Indigenous Technology on Organic

Cultivation of Reishi
(Ganoderma lucidum)

Author : Dr. K. Perumal, M.Sc.,Ph.D
Deputy Director (R& D and Admin)
Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar
Research Centre,
Taramani, Chennai 600 113.
Email:energy@mcrc.murugappa.org
Web: amm-mcrc.org

Technical Assistants : Mr. V. Karuppuraj, Research Fellow

Financial Support : Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Ministry of Science & Technology,
Block-2, 7
th
Floor C.G.O Complex,
Lodi Road, New Delhi- 110 003

Publisher :Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar
Research Centre,
Taramani, Chennai 600 113.
Email:energy@mcrc.murugappa.org
Web: amm-mcrc.org

Year of Publishing : April 2009
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Contents
Page No.
1. Introduction 3
2. Occurrence of Ganoderma lucidum 4
3. Imported technology on Ganoderma lucidum 5
4. Production of Ganoderma lucidum 7
5. MCRC technology on Cultivation of Ganoderma 8
6. Market potential of Ganoderma lucidum 12
7. Technology Transfer 12


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Indigenous Technology on
Organic Cultivation of Reishi
(Ganoderma lucidum)

1. INTRODUCTION
Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) P. Karst., is a small white rot
basidiomycetous fungus that grows on decaying logs and tree
stumps. The fruit bodies of Ganoderma have been used in
traditional Chinese medicine for more than 4,000 years.
Ganoderma as nutriceuticals are used as a remedy to treat more
than 20 different illnesses which include migraine and headache,
hypertension, arthritis, bronchitis, asthma, anorexia, gastritis,
haemorrhoids, hypercholesterolaemia, nephritis, dysmenorrhoea,
constipation, lupus erythematosis, hepatitis, leukopenia,
cardiovascular problems and cancer including leukaemia (Table
1).
It is believed to be the oldest mushroom used in medicine and is
one of the most respected medicinal mushrooms, today. The
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Chinese have always regarded the mushroom as having special
properties.
Table 1. Potential application of Ganoderma based products
AREA OF APPLICATION APPLICATION
Anti-carcinogenic
Anticancer, Antitumor
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory, Anti-
mutagenic
Pharmaceutical
Cardioprotective
Food
Polysaccharide
Dietary supplements

Triterpines

2. OCCURRENCE
The fruit bodies of Ganoderma lucidum occur in six
different colors such as Chinese red, bright yellow and white.
Initial fruiting bodies of Ganoderma is white, turns into yellow
shades and finally into varnished, reddish to reddish brown shade,
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quite beautiful and distinctive. The red variety of Ganoderma
lucidum is most commonly used for nutraceutical purposes and
commercially cultivated in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and
North America.
While Ganoderma lucidum is an annual, and does not
grow more than once a year like some polypores, its fruiting body
is quite tough and can last for months. Ganoderma known as a
magical mushroom is also known as Reishi or Ling zhi which
means "herb of spiritual potency". Reishi had been added to the
American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium.
Once rare and expensive, this mushroom is now effectively
cultivated and is readily available.
3. IMPORTED TECHNOLOGY ON CULTIVATION OF
GANODERMA
Ganoderma lucidum is commercially cultivated on wood
logs for the production of fruit body otherwise called basidiomata
or fruit body. Scientists have attempted artificial cultivation of
Reishi initially in 1937 and mass production was achieved in 1971
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by cultivating the spawn in sawdust containing pots. Worldwide,
the fruit body of Ganoderma is cultivated by the following three
methods such as 1) wood log cultivation (the most popular
method), 2) Pot or bottle cultivation and 3) Tank cultivation. Over
the past 30 years, numerous studies have been made to find the
best method to create high-quality Ganoderma lucidum. These
observations have shown that the best method to obtain high-
quality Ganoderma lucidum is through the wood log method.
However, the wood log method of cultivation has limitations, as it
requires certain specific variety of tree logs, which have to be
seasoned and prepared, which is expensive. Extensive time is
required for fruit body harvest (5-12 months). These drawbacks
can be overcome by the method developed by MCRC for the
artificial cultivation of Ganoderma. A description of the
cultivation method is discussed below.
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The schematic diagram of production of Ganoderma lucidum
Ganoderma lucidum

Base spawn development

Mother Spawn development

Bed spawns development

Collection and procurement of cellulosic raw material

Mushroom bed Preparation

Erection of mushroom cropping sheds

Maintenance of mushroom beds in the cropping shed

Harvest of mushroom fruit body
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4. INDIGENOUS MCRC TECHNOLOGY ON
CULTIVATION OF GANODERMA
Scientists of Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research
Centre (MCRC), Taramani, Chennai Tamilnadu have achieved a
breakthrough by successfully growing and harvesting fruit bodies/
basidiocarps of Ganoderma lucidum on lignocellulosic
agrowastes within 35- 40 days. According to Dr K. Perumal,
Principal investigator of the DBT sponsored project on mushroom
pigment, the technology of Ganoderma production had been a
secret in many countries like Japan, Korea and China from
information available harvest takes place in 180 - 360 days. In
India, National Research Centre for Mushroom, Solan, have
achieved successfully grown Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) using
combinations of various types of sawdust, other nutrients-
supplements and environmental conditions in five months in a
laboratory scale.


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At MCRC the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum was
explored by utilizing sugar cane bagasse, wood shavings, saw
dust, paddy husk, banana leaves, dried moringa stems and paddy
straw. Among these raw materials, sugarcane bagasse added with
other natural supplements and maintained at suitable temperature
and humidity had resulted in an optimum production of fruit
bodies of Ganoderma lucidum within a period of 35-40 days
(Table 2). The nutraceutical properties of the fruiting body of
Ganoderma lucidum is summarized in table 3.
Table 2. Comparison of wood log method and MCRC method
of Ganoderma cultivation
S.N
o
Particulars Wood log
method
Organic method
(MCRC)
1 Substrate Moisture Hardwood logs Agriculture residues
2 Temperature (
0
C) 28 25 30
3 Humidity (%) 85 - 90 85 - 90
5 Spawn run ( Days) 28 14
6 Appearance of Primordia (2mm) Days 90 10 15
7 Primordium maturation ( Days) 9 11 5 7
8 Development of Basidiocarp ( days) 14 7
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10
11
12
1
st
Harvest ( days)
Bio-efficency (%)
Subsequent harvest (days)
Total Bio-efficiency
180 - 360
NA
90
48
35-36
45
7
48
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Table. 3.The typical assay of Ganoderma lucidum powder.
1. Polysaccharides : 28-30%

2. Triterpenoids : 0.9 - 1.2%

3. Protein : 18- 19.0% of dry weight.

4 Carbohydrate : 10- 12 (Glucose 11.1%)

5 Metals : 10.2% of dry weight (K,
Mg and Ca being the
major components)
6. Organic Germanium : 489 g/g

Patent: MCRC has filed a patent on the Cost effective process
of artificial cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum basidiomata on
sugarcane bagasse using polythene bags on 30
th
December 2005
in the Patent Office, Government of India, IPR Buildings,
Chennai (1969 / CHE/ 2005).
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5. MARKET POTENTIAL OF GANODERMA
Medicinal Mushrooms, value added products have a world
trade of about $ 4 billion and till now it has been dominated by
China, Japan and Korea. Out of the total global production of
about 6000 tonnes of Ganoderma, China alone produced over
4000 tonnes. The USA is the biggest market for medicinal
mushrooms and their products. The fruit body of Ganoderma
lucidum is sold in the market @Rs.600 to 700 / kg. We estimate
with faster growing cycle and lower input cost production through
our technology, the production cost will be in the order of Rs. 200
per kg.

6. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
The technology on cultivation of fruit bodies of
Ganoderma lucidum shall be transferred to national and
international entrepreneurs and the production of Ganoderma
fruiting body have huge market potential. MCRC can provide
assistance in setting-up of a plant for production of fruit bodies of
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Ganoderma lucidum and the cost estimates for setting up the unit
in India. The potential licensee of our technology should be able
to undertake a market study, at their cost and establish the market.
We anticipate there will be a gestation period of one year to
develop the market.


For More Information, Contact:
The Chairman
Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar
Research Centre (MCRC)
Taramani, Chennai 600113 Fax 091-44-22430369
E Mail: energy@mcrc.murugappa.org,
MurugappanMV@cumi.murugappa.com
Web: amm-mcrc.org