For nearly 30 years, Dr. Ngo Anh, a lecturer at the Faculty of Biology at Hue University of Science, has dedicated significant effort to researching various species of fungi. To date, he has successfully cultivated 14 rare medicinal mushroom species, including some that have never been found in the world.
Among the four rare medicinal mushrooms that Dr. Ngo Anh and his colleagues successfully cultivated in 2006 is the ancient reishi mushroom. Looking at the developing mushroom caps, few would believe that it took Dr. Anh two years to discover a successful cultivation method for this species in the laboratory. This mushroom, primarily found growing wild in forests, is a highly valued medicinal species known for its strong anti-tumor effects, especially in treating lung cancer, breast cancer, and stomach cancer.
According to Dr. Ngo Anh, “this is a perennial mushroom that grows at very high altitudes. To cultivate it, we must collect natural samples and bring them to the lab. Each growth cycle takes about 4-5 months. To succeed, we must repeat the process 4-5 times. In the laboratory, it must be grown on substrates like sawdust from jackfruit wood and other types of wood to provide nutrients. The cultivation process for this species is very meticulous.”
As a lecturer in the Biology department, Dr. Ngo Anh has devoted nearly 30 years, in addition to his teaching responsibilities, to researching and cultivating medicinal mushroom species. In collaboration with professors both domestically and internationally, as well as with colleagues, he has identified the biodiversity of over 400 mushroom species while also studying the biochemical components and detoxification activities of many varieties.
Notably, through the collection of samples from different ecological regions, he and his colleagues have successfully cultivated 14 types of medicinal mushrooms. Among them, in addition to various jelly fungi, there are 10 types from the reishi family, such as: ancient reishi, purple reishi, red reishi, tropical reishi, and golden reishi. These are precious medicinal mushrooms that contain compounds that regulate cellular toxicity, relieve pain, relax muscles, inhibit platelet aggregation, stimulate immune response, and are effective in supporting the treatment of many diseases such as liver, urinary, cardiovascular issues, cancer, and AIDS.
Although not yet widely cultivated, the initial successes of Dr. Ngo Anh in researching and successfully cultivating several rare medicinal mushroom species have opened up new prospects for utilizing compounds in mushrooms to support the treatment of common chronic diseases.
