The bioactive components in reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) that adjust their anti-aging functions mainly include polysaccharides, triterpenes, peptides, and polysaccharide peptides.

Polysaccharides are the most important contributors to the bioactivity and medical application of Ganoderma lucidum, which are well known for their antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. The structure of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides is made up of glucose, mannose, galactose, fucose, xylose, and arabinose. Different types of Ganoderma lucidum have distinct glycosidic linkages, giving the polysaccharides the opportunity to bind with various protein or peptide residues to form polysaccharide-protein or -peptide complexes.

Studies have exhibited that the Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides with prominent lifespan extension effects mainly include the Reishi Polysaccharide Fraction 3 (RF3) and Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides I, II, III, and IV (GLPI, GLPII, GLPIII, and GLPIV).

Bioactive peptides are a class of peptides with molecular masses of less than 6 kDa, the relatively small molecular weight enables it to be easily absorbed by the human intestine. Ganoderma lucidum peptide (GLP) is the bioactive peptide of Ganoderma lucidum. It has been reported that GLP is the major antioxidant component of Ganoderma lucidum.

Since the polysaccharides and peptides from Ganoderma lucidum can be used for adjusting human beings’ anti-aging effect, the combination of these components may also have similar benefits. The Ganoderma polysaccharide peptide (GLPP) has been shown to possess antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects, thus having the potential of exerting an anti-aging effect. Its average molecular weight is 520 kDa. The polysaccharides in GLPP are D-rhamnose, D-xylose, D-fructose, D-galactose, and D-glucose with molar ratios of 0.549: 3.614: 3.167: 0.556: 6.89 and are linked by β-glycosidic linkages. GLPP contains 16 amino acids, the polysaccharides to peptides ratio in GLPP is approximately 95:5.

Triterpenes are another group of bioactive constituents of Ganoderma lucidum besides polysaccharides. More than 140 different triterpenes have been isolated from Ganoderma lucidum. They have anti-oxidation, anti-radiation, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effects. Due to its antioxidant property Ganoderma lucidum triterpene would have a potential lifespan extension effect. The anti-tumor effect of Ganoderma lucidum triterpenes has been found in different types of tumors, such as breast, lung, and cervical cancers. The triterpenes in Ganoderma lucidum related to anti-aging are total triterpene and Ganoderic acid C1.

Ganoderic acid C1 (GAC1) is a triterpenoid extracted from Ganoderma lucidum. It is the most potent triterpenoid of Ganoderma lucidum, which can inhibit the release of cytokines to a similar extent as G. lucidum polysaccharides to modulate the immune cascade.