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Background
Why spectrophotometry cannot measure triterpenes accurately
Following the pharmacopoeia method with oleanolic acid as the reference standard, researchers used to measure triterpenes, sterols and fatty acids in lingzhi separately. They found that sterols and fatty acids both interfere with the result, especially for spores, while the structural features of triterpenes in fruiting bodies make the reading far lower than the true value.
Composition analysisLab measurement of what lingzhi containsHow the study was done
Analyzed the color reactions of three classes of compounds in and the factors affecting triterpene measurement.
What the researchers say
The researchers concluded that is not suitable for measuring triterpene content in lingzhi fruiting bodies, mycelium, spores or related products.
Source
Cheng Chilu, Tang Qingjiu et al. (Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and others), 分光光度法测定灵芝三萜含量的干扰因素探讨 [Interfering factors in spectrophotometric determination of lingzhi triterpenes], Mycosystema (菌物学报), 2022, 41(10): 1716-1725
Abstract checked Last updated: 2026-10-06