Determination of the antioxidant activity and polyphenol contents of wild Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (W.Curt. Fr.) P. Karst. (higher Basidiomycetes) from central Himalayan hills of India.

The antioxidant potential of wild strain of Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum from Central Himalayan Hills (2000 m MSL) was evaluated, and compared with its in vitro cultured mycelia grown on malt extract broth in the laboratory. Antioxidant activities of both wild and cultivated G. lucidum in terms of IC₅₀ (mg/ mL) were determined against different in vitro radical systems such as DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS [2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylenebenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)] and hydroxyl radicals, in addition to ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. Polyphenol contents were also determined, in order to assess their effects on the antioxidant activity of extracts. All the extracts showed significant antioxidant activity, and maximum scavenging was observed in the case of methanolic extracts of wild G. lucidum with minimum IC50 values 0.953 ± 0.040, 0.690 ± 0.014 and 3.295 ± 0.027 mg/mL, respectively, for DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radicals. The efficacy of wild G. lucidum as a rich source of natural antioxidant was established for nutraceutical development.