Can Cold Plasma Enhance the Production of Cancer-Preventive Compounds in Cultures of Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes)?

Ganoderma lucidum (ligzhi or reishi), a medicinal mushroom rich in bioactive triterpenoids such as ganoderic and betulinic acids, is valued for its anticancer properties. However, traditional cultivation struggles with inconsistent metabolite yields. This study explores cold plasma (CP) technology as an abiotic elicitor to enhance triterpenoid production in G. lucidum in vitro cultures. Three CP types (volume DBD, surface DBD, plasma jet) with air or argon gas were tested. CP treatments significantly increased extracellular (EX) and intracellular (IN) triterpenoid levels. The best treatments boosted extracellular betulinic acid, total ganoderic acid, and total triterpenes by 11, 1.6, and 7 times, respectively, compared with natural fungi, and 4.1, 1.3, and 3.3 times versus the control. Intracellular levels rose by 9, 1.5, 1.4, and 2.4 times for betulinic acid, total ganoderic acid, total triterpenes, and total terpenes compared with natural mushrooms, and 3.3, 2.27, 2.2, and 1.4 times versus the control. Although natural mushrooms had higher ergosterol content, the best CP treatments still improved it by 3 times (EX) and 4 times (IN) over the control. The plasma jet showed superior efficacy for most compounds. These results highlight value metabolites, overcoming limitations of conventional cultivation. CP-elicited in vitro production could revolutionize sustainable pharmaceutical applications of reishi. Further research should optimize CP parameters for industrial-scale use.