Is the triterpene content of lingzhi spore powder really as high as some manufacturers claim?
Many spore powder products state a content of several percent, and spore oils even claim 20 or 30 percent. Such figures usually come from the commonly used method of . Research by the Institute of Edible Fungi at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences found that this method also counts the large amounts of oils (fatty acids) and sterols in spore powder as “triterpenes”, giving readings far above the true content.
When measured instead with , which identifies specific compounds one by one, the total of 13 triterpenes in spore powder was only about 14 to 100 micrograms per gram, roughly 0.001% to 0.01%; spore oil contained less than 50 micrograms per gram. For comparison, the same team measured 2.52% to 6.83% of 10 ganoderic acids in water extracts of lingzhi fruiting bodies using liquid chromatography. The researchers concluded that spectrophotometry is not suitable for measuring triterpene content in lingzhi fruiting bodies, mycelium, spores or their products.
An analogy: spectrophotometry is like counting the girls in a class by counting everyone wearing red. Boys in red get counted too, so samples like spore powder with lots of “boys in red” give inflated numbers; conversely, girls in blue get missed, so fruiting-body triterpenes are sometimes underestimated. Liquid chromatography is like taking attendance from the class list, counting only the real ganoderic acids, so the result is accurate.
When you see a triterpene content on a product, check two things: what method was used, and does it say “triterpenes” or “triterpenes and sterols”?
This topic includes 5 studies and reports, each linked to its source.
Terms explained on this page (3)
triterpenes
A group of bitter-tasting compounds in lingzhi, found mainly in the fruiting body; one of lingzhi’s main active components.
spectrophotometry
A coloring reagent is added to the sample, and anything that reacts and changes color gets counted: the deeper the color, the more “triterpenes” the reading shows. It is like counting the girls in a class by counting everyone wearing red: boys in red get counted too, and girls in blue get missed.
liquid chromatography (HPLC)
The components in the sample are first separated one by one, each “appearing” at a fixed time, and then each is matched and weighed against a known reference standard. It is like taking attendance from a class list: only the people actually present are counted, with no mix-ups and no one missed.
Researchers used to measure 13 triterpenes in lingzhi spore powder one by one. Total triterpenes in spore powder were only 14.24 to 99.70 micrograms per gram, about one hundredth of the level in lingzhi fruiting bodies; total triterpenes in spore oil were under 50 micrograms per gram. The study also found that how much triterpene was released bore no clear relationship to whether the spores were wall-broken.
Composition analysisLab measurement of what lingzhi contains
The researchers optimized the sample preparation for spore powder and used to measure each triterpene in unbroken spore powder, wall-broken spore powder and spore oil.
What the researchers say
The researchers note that the commonly used gives inflated triterpene readings because of oils and other components in spore powder.
Source
Yang Zhikong, Tang Qingjiu et al. (Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and others), HPLC法测定灵芝孢子粉中三萜含量 [Determination of triterpenes in lingzhi spore powder by HPLC], Mycosystema (菌物学报), 2020, 39(1): 184-192
Checked against the original article pageLast updated: 2026-10-06
Researchers compared 12 batches of lingzhi spore powder with lingzhi fruiting bodies; the relative triterpene content of spore powder was less than half that of fruiting bodies, and in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, less triterpene was released from spore powder than in methanol. On this basis the researchers concluded that lingzhi spore powder contains little triterpene.
Composition analysisLab measurement of what lingzhi contains
Chromatography was used to compare the triterpenes in several batches of spore powder and fruiting bodies, and the release of triterpenes was examined in a simulated human digestive environment.
What the researchers say
The researchers also note that earlier reports on triterpene levels in spores disagreed, some finding them higher than in fruiting bodies and others lower.
Source
Liu MT et al. (Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, and others), Ganoderma spore powder contains little triterpenoids, Chinese Medicine, 2020, 15: 111
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 contains
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
Researchers developed a liquid chromatography method for measuring 10 ganoderic acids. All 10 triterpenes were present in water extracts of lingzhi fruiting bodies, at 2.52% to 6.83%, much higher than in the raw fruiting bodies; in the commercial lingzhi products tested, triterpene content was 0.27% to 0.84%.
Composition analysisLab measurement of what lingzhi contains
was used to measure 10 ganoderic acids in raw lingzhi fruiting bodies, water extracts and commercial lingzhi products.
What the researchers say
The researchers believe this method lays the groundwork for quality standards for lingzhi water extracts and their products.
Source
Liang Rui, Tang Qingjiu et al. (Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and others), HPLC测定灵芝子实体水提物及相关产品中三萜的含量 [HPLC determination of triterpenes in lingzhi fruiting body water extracts and related products], Mycosystema (菌物学报), 2022, 41(2): 309-317
More than 200 triterpenes have been found in lingzhi, but ganoderic acids with known pharmacological activity are hard to extract and purify for use as reference standards. So at present, oleanolic acid or ursolic acid, which are common in plants, are mostly used as references, with measuring “total triterpenes”. This method has low specificity, results vary widely between products, and it is hard to use for judging product quality. Measuring with using ganoderic acids as standards is highly specific and reflects the true triterpene content. The triterpene content of lingzhi spore powder is also very low.
Book on lingzhiSummarized from a published book; verifiable by title and ISBN
Published book · see title and ISBN in the source
How the study was done
Drawn from the section “Methods for measuring polysaccharide and triterpene content in lingzhi products need improvement”.
What the researchers say
The quality standard for lingzhi fruiting bodies published by the United States Pharmacopeia in 2014 uses exactly this approach of measuring the total of several specific ganoderic acids, requiring dried fruiting bodies to contain at least 0.3% triterpenes.
Source
Lin Zhibin (ed.), 灵芝从神奇到科学 [Lingzhi: From Mystery to Science], 3rd ed., Peking University Medical Press, 2018, ISBN 978-7-5659-1844-5, Ch. 3 and 15