Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 51-61 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 52 In recent years, the development of genetic modification methods has brought new possibilities for increasing the content of triterpenoid compounds in G. lucidum. Technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 and RNA interference (RNAi) have been used to regulate key genes in the triterpene synthesis process, with the aim of allowing G. lucidumto produce more triterpenes (Mirmazloum et al., 2021). In addition, researchers have also screened strains that are already high-yielding and suitable for commercial cultivation through molecular phylogenetic analysis and metabolite detection (Hennicke et al., 2016). Although these methods have high technical barriers, they show great application potential in increasing triterpene production and stabilizing the quality of G. lucidumproducts (Hennicke et al., 2016; Mirmazloum et al., 2021). This study looked at whether genetic improvement could help raise the amount of triterpenoids in G. lucidum. It focused on how key genes control the making of these compounds. The goal is to give a scientific basis for breeding G. lucidumstrains that have stable and high levels of triterpenoids. The study also aims to solve some problems with traditional growing methods, help develop better G. lucidum-based treatments and health foods, and increase its medical and market value. 2 Triterpenoid Compounds inGanoderma lucidum 2.1 Types of triterpenoids inG. lucidum The most representative triterpenoid component in G. lucidum is ganoderic acid. It is an oxygenated lanostane-type triterpene. There are many types, and more than 150 types have been discovered so far, each with its own structural characteristics. In a word, their basic structure is a steroid skeleton, and the difference is that these skeletons have oxidative modifications such as hydroxyl groups added to certain carbon atoms (Cai et al., 2020; Chen et al., 2023). For example, the CYP512U6 P450 family gene in G. lucidumcan add a hydroxyl group to the C-23 position of the triterpene molecule to generate derivatives such as ganoderic acid A and ganoderic acid Jc (Yang et al., 2018). There is also a triterpenoid compound called gingodermic acid, which is also common in G. lucidum. The biggest difference between this type of compound and ganoderic acid is that their degree of oxidation and modification are different. Ganoderic acid is often modified in a more "complex" way, while gingodermic acid may have other changes in the way of hydroxylation (Ye et al., 2018; Ahmad et al., 2021b). It is precisely because of this structural diversity that these triterpenoid compounds have rich biological activities, such as anti-cancer, antiviral, and immunomodulatory effects. 2.2 Pharmacological properties of triterpenoids The triterpenoids in G. lucidum are quite outstanding in anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. These compounds can interfere with a variety of enzymes and pathways involved in inflammatory responses or viral replication (Wu et al., 2019). For example, studies have found that they can inhibit neuraminidase, HIV protease, and even the NS2B-NS3 protease of dengue virus (Ahmad et al., 2021b). Behind these mechanisms, in fact, is to interrupt the key links of viral replication, so that the virus cannot proliferate normally. For example, it has a clear inhibitory effect on viruses such as HSV. Triterpenoids also have a "boosting" effect on the immune system. They can activate immune cells and improve the body's ability to respond to infection and inflammation. In the field of anti-cancer, the potential of triterpenoids is also gaining more and more attention. Studies have shown that they can induce apoptosis of tumor cells, inhibit metastasis, and affect some key signal transduction pathways in cells, such as those that regulate cell division and growth (Ding et al., 2023). Not only that, these ingredients can also enhance the function of antigen-presenting cells (Ahmad et al., 2021b). It is worth mentioning that triterpenoids are not only "medicines", but also a promising "anti-aging" nutrient. Some studies have mentioned that their long-term use can help slow down physiological decline and improve brain function, and may even bring certain benefits to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (Zeng et al., 2021).
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