Studying the triterpenoid profiles of four Ganoderma species using UHPLC-HRMS-based metabolomics and molecular networking

Authors: LI, YANFANG - Ohio University; UPTON, ROY - American Herbal Pharmacop; ZHANG, MENGLIANG - Ohio University; Geng, Ping; Chen, Pei

Submitted to: Food Analytical Methods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/2026
Publication Date: 4/28/2026
Citation: Li, Y., Upton, R., Zhang, M., Geng, P., Chen, P. 2026. Studying the triterpenoid profiles of four Ganoderma species using UHPLC-HRMS-based metabolomics and molecular networking. Food Analytical Methods. 19. Article 211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-026-03122-8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-026-03122-8

Interpretive Summary: Ganoderma mushrooms, often known as Reishi or Lingzhi, are highly valued in traditional medicine and modern wellness for their significant health benefits. They are a popular ingredient in dietary supplements, functional foods, and herbal medicines worldwide. The key to Ganoderma's powerful therapeutic and pharmacological properties lies in compounds called triterpenoids. These are the main bioactive components—the ingredients that actually produce the health effects. This study looked at the triterpenoid makeup of four different Ganoderma species: G. lucidum, G. japonicum, G. applanatum, and G. tsugae. The main finding was a significant difference and inconsistency in the triterpenoid profiles among the various Reishi mushroom samples. The results show that it is essential to know exactly which Ganoderma species is being used as the triterpenoid profiles vary drastically by species. Furthermore, the specific batch of mushroom material must be tested to profile its triterpenoids. This ensures that a supplement or food product contains the correct and expected levels of the beneficial compounds. Finally, the unique triterpenoid patterns found in this research can also serve as a chemical fingerprint to help verify different Ganoderma species in the future.

Technical Abstract: Ganoderma is multi-species fungal genus of economic importance with various health-promoting effects. It is widely used as ingredients for dietary supplements, functional foods or medicines globally. Triterpenoids are the main bioactive components responsible for the therapeutic and pharmacological properties of Ganoderma. This study investigated the triterpenoid profiles of fruiting bodies of G. lucidum (GL), G. japonicum (GJ), G. applanatum (GA), and G. tsugae (GT), as well as commercial mycelium biomass products. Thirty-five fruiting body samples and eight mycelium biomass samples obtained from the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (Soquel, CA) were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) combined with molecular networking. A total of 93 compounds including 88 triterpenoids were detected and tentatively identified in the fruiting bodies. In contrast, no triterpenoids were detected in the mycelium biomass samples under the same analytical conditions. Among the fruiting bodies, inconsistent chemical profiles were observed both between Ganoderma species, and among samples labeled as the same species, particularly within GL. The results of this study indicate that evaluating the triterpenoid profiles of samples is very important for quality control. The triterpenoid profiles among different Ganoderma species revealed in this study may help species identification and authentication in future studies.