Ganoderma spore powder contains little triterpenoids

BACKGROUND: Ganoderma spore is a minuscule germ cell ejected from Ganoderma gills during its growth maturity period, it has been considered with high exploitable potential in health-care products manufacture. METHODS: After testing sporoderm-broken rate, the triterpenoids in 12 batches of broken and unbroken Ganoderma spore powder (GSP) samples were compared with Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body (GL) by high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and further verified by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–QTOF–MS); meanwhile, the dissolution of triterpenoids after bionic extraction was also investigated by HPTLC. RESULTS: The sporoderm-broken rate of all the broken GSP samples was over 85%. The relative peak area of triterpenoids in GSP samples were lower than 50% of that in fruiting body, and the dissolution of triterpenoids in artificial gastrointestinal fluid was lower than in methanol. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that there were little triterpenoids in GSP. Triterpenoids in GSP also seldom be dissolved in artificial gastrointestinal fluid.