Artist’s Bracket or Conk Mushroom- Ganoderma applanatum

Artist’s Conk, Ganoderma applantum, is a bracket fungus that I harvest from fallen trees in old growth forests in the Finger Lakes region and Adirondack Mountains. It has a white underside that you can scratch on to create a brown and white picture, hence its name! It brings back childhood memories of budding artists. It has been used traditionally for cancer, indigestion, phlegm, anxiety, chronic inflammation, chest pain, and general pain.

It is antioxidant, antiproliferative, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial and contains calcium, sodium, phosphorus, and manganese. Its secondary metabolites include terpenoids, phenolics, glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins. This study shows that G. applanatum mushroom extract had a wider number of antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, and alkaloids, and had a higher radical scavenging potential that most other mushrooms.¹

The active components in mushrooms responsible for conferring anti-cancer potential are polysaccharides, alkaloids, triterpenoids, and polyphenols. ²

Various studies have found that phytochemicals in G. applanatum can induce apoptosis (pre-programmed cell death) in gastric, cervical, and colon cancer cells. It seems the exact mechanism is not well understood but the research could lead to new treatments. For more information use Google Scholar. There's a wealth of research papers available. 

Tincture dosing is 1-2 ml once or twice a day. 1 ml is 20-25 drops. Start slowly as allergies and intolerances are always possible.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any illness.

¹ Rijia A, Krishnamoorthi R, Rasmi M, Mahalingam PU, Kim KS. Comprehensive Analysis of Bioactive Compounds in Wild Ganoderma applanatum Mushroom from Kerala, South India: Insights into Dietary Nutritional, Mineral, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activities. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024 Apr 17;17(4):509. doi: 10.3390/ph17040509. PMID: 38675473; PMCID: PMC11054536.

² Waill A. Elkhateeb, Gihan M. Zaghlol, Islam M. El-Garawani, Eman F. Ahmed, Mostafa E. Rateb, Ahmed E. Abdel Moneim, Ganoderma applanatum secondary metabolites induced apoptosis through different pathways: In vivo and in vitro anticancer studies, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 101, 2018, Pages 264-277, ISSN 0753-3322, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.02.058.