Citation: Kolniak-Ostek, J.; Oszmia ´ nski, J.; Szyjka, A.; Moreira, H.; Barg, E. Anticancer and Antioxidant Activities in Ganoderma lucidum Wild Mushrooms in Poland, as Well as Their Phenolic and Triterpenoid Compounds. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 9359. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/ijms23169359 Academic Editors: Lorenza Trabalzini and Federica Finetti Received: 3 August 2022 Accepted: 18 August 2022 Published: 19 August 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Anticancer and Antioxidant Activities in Ganoderma lucidum Wild Mushrooms in Poland, as Well as Their Phenolic and Triterpenoid Compounds Joanna Kolniak-Ostek 1, * , Jan Oszmia ´ nski 1 , Anna Szyjka 2 , Helena Moreira 2 and Ewa Barg 2 1 Departmentof Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37 Chelmo ´ nskiego Street, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland 2 Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 211 Borowska Street, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland * Correspondence: joanna.kolniak-ostek@upwr.edu.pl Abstract: The goal of this study was to the assess anti-cancer and antioxidant properties of the Gano- derma lucidum fruiting body, and to identify bioactive compounds found in their extracts. Significant antiproliferative activity was observed against MCF-7, MCF-7/DX, LOVO, LOVO/DX, MDA-MB 231, SW 620, and NHDF cell lines. With IC 50 values of 25.38 μg/mL and 47.90 μg/mL, respectively, the extract was most effective against MDA-MB 231 and SW 620 cell lines. The bioactive compounds were identified using an ACQUITY UPLC-PDA-MS system. The extracts contained 13 triterpenoids and 28 polyphenols from the flavonols, phenolic acids, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and stilbenes fami- lies. Ganoderic acid derivative was found to be the most abundant triterpenoid (162.4 mg/g DW), followed by ganoderic acid B (145.6 mg/g DW). Resveratrol was the most abundant phenolic in the extract (5155.7 mg/100 g DM). The findings could explain why G. lucidum extracts are used in folk medicine. Keywords: lingzhi; reishi; mushrooms; antioxidants; bioactive compounds; LC-MS 1. Introduction Food’s impact on the human body has received more attention in recent years. Lifestyle diseases are the leading cause of death in both Poland and other European countries. Can- cer accounts for almost 27% of all deaths in the European Union [1]. Surgery is the most frequently used method of treating early-stage cancers [2], while later, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy are additionally used [3,4]. However, these methods have many side effects, such as high toxicity, pain, emotional stress, negative impact on fertility, and neurological sequelae [5]. In order to alleviate the negative effects and support the effectiveness of the therapies used, biologically active compounds found in medicinal plants can be used. Ganoderma lucidum (also known as “the fungus of immor- tality”) is a traditional medicinal mushroom and one of nature’s most effective adaptogens, acting as a regulator of biological activities. For over a thousand years, the Chinese have used G. lucidum for medicinal purposes. G. lucidum is still used as an adjuvant treatment for a variety of ailments in China as a traditional herbal medicine. Traditional herbal medicine is thought to have precise clinical effects by reducing inflammation and regulating immu- nity, as well as antiaging properties [6]. G. lucidum’s pharmacological properties stem from its distinct chemical composition, which includes bioactive compounds such as terpenoids, polysaccharides, phenolics, steroids, proteins, glycopeptides, and fatty acids [7,8]. These substances have been linked to G. lucidum’s antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tyrosinase actions [9,10]. G. lucidum has also been used as an adjuvant in the treatment of a number of medical conditions, including insomnia, anorexia, chronic hep- atitis, and hypertension [11]. Clinical studies show that the use of G. lucidum extracts in Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 9359. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23169359 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms