Analysis of chemical composition and antioxidant capacity in commercially available Ganoderma lucidum and safety assessment for heavy metals and pesticide residues

With Ganoderma lucidum incorporated into the Catalog of Substances with Both Food and Medicinal Values, scientific evaluation for its edible safety and quality control is urgently needed. To systematically evaluate the safety and quality of commercial Ganoderma lucidum products, based on prior relevant research, heavy metal contents, pesticide residues and seven selected indicators of chemical composition and antioxidant capacity in eight randomly purchased samples were detected and risk-assessed, with all detections following the 2020 Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Results showed that one of the eight samples contained phorate (0.0265 mg·kg⁻¹), a prohibited pesticide, while two of eight (25.0%) and one of eight (12.5%) samples exceeded the Chinese Pharmacopoeia limits for copper and mercury, respectively. The seven selected indicators of chemical composition and antioxidant capacity, including total phenolics, flavonoids, soluble sugars, total sugars, total antioxidant capacity, polysaccharides, and triterpenoids, showed marked heterogeneity among samples when expressed on a dry-weight basis. Risk assessment indicated conventional-dosage consumption risks are controllable, yet long-term cumulative risks need further attention. Commercial products are prone to exogenous contamination and uneven quality. These findings suggest that continued market surveillance and clearer quality-related benchmarks may be needed for Ganoderma products used under food-medicine dual-use conditions. This study provides preliminary data support for the scientific utilization and safety regulation of food-medicine dual-use Ganoderma lucidum , and supports further evidence-based evaluation of its edible safety and quality consistency.