Protective Effects of Antrodia Cinnamomea Against Liver Injury

Chinese herbal medicine (中草藥) attracts much attention in the treatment of liver injuries. Numerous studies have revealed various biological activities of medicinal mushrooms such as Antrodia Cinnamomea (牛樟芝). Although A. cinnamomea is rare in the wild, recent developments in fermentation and cultivation technologies make the mycelia and fruiting bodies of this valuable medicinal mushroom readily available. Liver diseases such as fatty liver, hepatitis, hepatic fibrosis, and liver cancer are complicated processes of liver injuries that have tremendous impact on human society. In this article, we reviewed studies about the hepatoprotective effects of the fruiting bodies and mycelia of A. cinnamomea performed in different experimental models. The results of those studies suggest the potential application of A. cinnamomea in preventing and treating liver diseases and its potential to be developed into health foods or new drugs.