Ganoderma formosanum— advances in biotechnological fermentation, bioactive metabolites, and health-promoting applications: a critical review (2017–2025)

This critical review examines research advances from 2017 to 2025 on Ganoderma formosanum (G. formosanum) as a fermentation-optimized alternative within the Ganoderma genus. Optimized submerged and immobilized fermentation strategies enable high-yield, consistent production of mycelial biomass (up to 11.5 g/L) and β-1,3-glucan-rich exopolysaccharides (EPS), alongside synergistic phenolic and organic-acid fractions. These fermentation-derived metabolites exhibit distinct structural features, including high β-glucan content (up to 53%) with potential resistance to gastric digestion, supporting prebiotic effects through colonic fermentation and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. The resulting bioactives demonstrate targeted health-promoting activities: Th1-biased immunomodulation with ∼40% tumor volume reduction in murine Lewis lung carcinoma models (moderate-quality evidence), potent tyrosinase inhibition (IC50 ≈118 ppm; high-quality evidence) for anti-melanogenic applications, and emerging protective effects against TGF-β1-induced lung fibrosis and PM2.5-triggered inflammation. Compared with G. lucidum, G. formosanum offers advantages in fermentation scalability, phenolic potency for cosmeceuticals, and Th1-skewed immune modulation, although it shows relatively lower triterpenoid diversity. Despite lacking human trials, its fermentation-driven consistency, safety, and multi-target bioactivities make it a promising candidate for functional foods, synbiotic beverages and nutricosmetics. Future work requires genetic stability, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant scale-up, standardized markers, and clinical validation to support nutritional use and integration into circular bioeconomy systems.