Reishi spore oil is Co2 extracted from broken reishi spore powder, which contains lipin,reishi triterpenes,reishi sterol,etc. the oil value depends on the stability of active ingredients like triterpenes and reishi sterol, and their concentrations.

The structures of reishi triterpenes are complex, and contains many functional groups, approximately 50% of reishi triterpenes are carboxyl triterpenic acids , which is the main ingredient of reishi spore oil. reishi sterol is the main unsaponifiable matter of reishi spore oil, which exists in form of free, higher fatty acid and glycoside. Reishi sterol owns important functions: protecting cardiovascular system and skin, anti inflammatory and blocking carcinogens, furthermore sterol is valuable to keep the stability of the oil quality.

The difference between plant oil refining and reishi spore oil extraction

To keep the stability of plant oil during storage and cooking, the unstable components of the oil are removed. so lower impurities, better quality, the impurity standard of plant oil is below 0.1%.

However,the main functional ingredients are lipid ingredients like triterpenes and sterol. With the refining of plant oil, reishi spore oil becomes light color(slight yellow or close to colorless),tasteless(no taste of reishi spores),lower impurities(reishi triterpene and sterol are removed), which makes reishi spore oil no different to other traditional plant oils.

The quality standard difference between reishi spore oil and plant oil

Acid value is the mass of potassium hydroxide (KOH) in milligrams that is required to neutralize one gram of plant oil, an important standard to identify the quality.

For plant oils, higher acid value, lower quality. However, when the same method is used to test the acid value of reishi spore oil, precious reishi triterpenes (ganodenic acids and ganosporeric acids) also consume potassium hydroxide, which makes the result higher than the actual acid value. Obviously, better quality reishi spore oil, higher triterpenes content, higher acid value is the result with the above test method.