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Solutuion For AIDS
Related to country: Namibia

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INTRIGUING BIOLOGICAL TREASURES
MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD:
THE CASE OF TUBEROUS TRUFFLES, AND IMMUNOMODULATING GANODERMA MUSHROOMS
WITH
POTENTIAL FOR HIV/AIDS TREATMENT




BY




K.E. MSHIGENI*
D. MTANGO**, A. MASSELE**, Y. MGONDA**
A. E. LYAMUYA**, M. ELINEEMA**, S.T. CHANG***







* Director, ZERI Regional Office for Africa, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek, Namibia.
** Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
*** Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.

INTRODUCTION
Ganoderma lucidum is another intriguing mushroom of fame, which has been treasured very highly by the people of China (and even by Kings), for over two millennia. Ganoderma is sublimely treasured, not because of rarity, not because of a cryptic growth habit, not because of edibility: in fact, it is very woody, and we could say, is very inedible. Ganoderma lucidum is famous, and is highly treasured, by virtue of its reported versatile medicinal potency. On that, it is very mysterious! It is mysterious, because scientists know that its thallus contains a cocktail of over 150 different biocompounds: but compounds whose precise individual roles in contributing to Ganoderma’s reported strong medicinal potency, are still shrouded with clouds of uncertainty.
We believe that our readers have seen Ganoderma mushrooms, growing in the wild. The mushrooms are seen growing as brown, hard, dry, ear-like appendages, attached to trunks of both dead and living trees. They are sometimes also seen emerging from wood logs buried in the soil. Actually, Ganoderma mushrooms are widely distributed in Africa. We have seen them growing in Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia, etc. In ancient China, the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom was recorded and graded amongst the upper grade medicinal drugs. Indeed, it appears in the oldest Chinese practical book on medicine, “Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing” (Zhang, 1993). Amongst the many reported medicinal virtues of the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, the following are particularly noteworthy, especially in the context of the key public health challenges confronting the people of Africa, at this point in time:
 It stimulates and boosts the body’s immune system.
 It is anti-viral, anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, and anti-parasitic.
 It regulates cardiovascular disorders; it normalizes blood pressure; it is a kidney tonic, it is hepatoprotective; and it retards senility.
 It is a nerve tonic; it reduces stress; it relieves chronic bronchitis; it is an anti-inflammatory; it is an anti-oxidant; and, also importantly,
 It has no toxicity, even when used for a long time (Chang and Mshigeni, 2001).
Considering the ever growing number of people in various countries in Africa who are afflicted by disorders such as HIV/AIDS, hypertension, cancer, kidney and liver malfunctions, etc., we took a keen interest in the reported medicinal versatility of the intriguing Ganoderma lucidum mushroom. This was especially so, in the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is increasingly killing Africa’s people by millions, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A LOOK AT THE HIV/AIDS CHALLENGE IN AFRICA
HIV/AIDS is a devastating pandemic in the world, and especially in Africa. It destroys the body’s immune system; it kills the body’s very soldiers that fight disease-causing bacteria and other foreign invaders; and there is no known cure for it. The need for adopting multi-pronged approaches towards addressing the killer disease, thus makes sense.
Through interventions by various donor agencies and various Governments in Africa, anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs have been imported to a number of African countries, with a view to helping to improve immunodefence systems of HIV/AIDS victims; to reduce the multiplication of HIV in the body; and to improve the general health of HIV/AIDS patients. Unfortunately, however, the cost of these drugs is beyond the reach of the affected people in most African countries. Additionally, ARVs are often offered too late, when the damage upon the afflicted HIV/AIDS victims is already almost beyond repair.
Besides ARVs, there are other drugs available for the treatment of several HIV/AIDS associated opportunistic infections. These other drugs are cheaper than ARVs. But they are needed at a relatively high frequency, due to repeated episodes of opportunistic infections in the lifetime of an HIV/AIDS patient. This makes the total cost of treatment too high for individual patients, and even for African countries that purchase the drugs. This is especially so, considering Africa’s staggering economies. Upon reflection, we saw Ganoderma lucidum mushroom products as a possible sustainable remedy for addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, at least in part. Why Ganoderma?
 HIV/AIDS is about the weakening of the body’s immune system: Ganoderma stimulates and boosts the immunoresponse system.
 Currently, ARV drugs must be imported into Africa at a very high cost. If Ganoderma is found to be effective for HIV/AIDS treatment, it can be generated from within Africa, through farming. Additionally, wild populations of Ganoderma mushrooms occur in Africa. We only need good conservation measures for Ganoderma mushrooms which Africa already has.
 Experimental trials on the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms through support from the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, have already generated a modest degree of success towards its agronomy in Africa. Scientists at the Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organisation (TIRDO) in Dar es Salaam, for example, successfully grew it, using (as substrates), locally abundant lignocellulosic agricultural crop residues and wastes (including humble, dried, and chopped banana leaves). We only need to build upon these pilot successes.

A CLOSE LOOK AT GANODERMA MUSHROOMS AS A POTENTIAL REMEDY FOR ADDRESSING THE HIV/AIDS CHALLENGE
A number of scientific studies have revealed that Ganoderma lucidum displays potent anti-HIV/AIDS activity (Miles and Chang, 1997; Kim and Kim, 1999; Chang and Buswell, 2003). As stated in the preceding paragraphs, Ganoderma has been used as traditional medicine in China for over two millennia; and it is known not to generate toxic harmful effects to its users (Stanislaus, 2002). And, because of its reported effect in balancing the body’s immune system (Miles and Chang, 1997), it was conceived by the authors of this contribution as an attractive candidate for testing its potency for improving health conditions of patients afflicted by HIV/AIDS.
What will be presented in the following pages are preliminary results of a pilot clinical testing study that was undertaken by a team of senior medical doctors and associated scientists, on the controlled trial of Ganoderma lucidum nutriceuticals for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients. The clinical test trials were undertaken after the necessary Government medical ethical clearances had been secured.
The general objective of the study was to determine the possible benefits of Ganoderma lucidum nutriceuticals in enhancing the health of HIV/AIDS patients. The specific objectives were to assess changes in body weight, in CD4 cell counts, in blood haemoglobin level, and in opportunistic diseases; to confirm whether it has no toxic effects, and no negative side effects to the body, when used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, as hinted from a survey of the literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was undertaken by a team of Doctors and Scientists at the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, after consultations with all the stakeholders. The study design was a randomized clinical trial, involving 46 HIV/AIDS patients. These were randomized to two groups, and followed up for six months. All the patients had CD4 counts of between 100 and 200, at registration. One group of 22 patients was given Ganoderma lucidum capsules, in combination with ARVs (Group A). A second group of 24 patients was given ARVs alone (group B). Nutrition advice was given to both groups.
The Ganoderma lucidum capsules used in the clinical test trials were secured from Concord Health Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia. These were administered to group A patients in a dose of 750 mg (250 mg capsules), three times a day. Clinical monitoring of the treated patients will include liver function tests, serum amylase and serum creatinine, and full blood picture tests, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) tests. For all patients, these tests were normal on admission to the clinical test study, and will be included in the final evaluation.
This preliminary report includes only the follow-up measurements of body weight, CD4 cell counts, and haemoglobin measurements.





PRELIMINARY RESULTS
The preliminary results of the clinical test trials are summarized in the following table:
Table 1: Body weight increase, CD4 increase, and haemoglobin increase in HIV/AIDS patients treated with Ganoderma lucidum mushroom capsules and ARV drugs.
Parameters Ganoderma + ARV ARV only
Number of patients 22 24
Average body weight increase 4.8 kg 2.4 kg
Average CD4 count increase 136 cells 70 cells
Average haemoglobin increase 1.1 mg 0.5 mg
It was observed that weight increase, CD4 cell increase, and haemoglobin level increase were consistently higher where Ganoderma mushroom capsules were also given, than where ARVs were administered alone.

DISCUSSION AND THE WAY FORWARD
The observed increase in body weight in Group A patients showed the superior benefits of Ganoderma mushroom products when used to complement ARVs in HIV/AIDS treatments. Ganoderma lucidum treatment also showed an improvement in CD4 cell counts, and also in haemoglobin level, although the level of increase was not very substantial. We shall have to isolate possible contributing factors to the observed differences, including factors relating to the life styles and diet characteristics of the two groups, before definite conclusions can be made.
The findings, however, indicated that there are no negative effects in including Ganoderma lucidum in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients also provided with ARVs. In fact, Ganoderma nutriceuticals played a positive role (Table 1). The results are thus encouraging, and have stimulated the research team to continue the pilot study into full scale phase 2 clinical trials, and into multi-centre and multi-national clinical test studies (covering a larger number of patients). This is in line with what was recommended by participants of the Zero Emissions Research Initiative (ZERI) Regional Project Consultative Workshop that recently took place in Windhoek, Namibia (October 24-28, 2005).
There are indications that with the use of Ganoderma mushroom nutriceuticals, we may afford to provide health care to more HIV/AIDS patients, since Ganoderma products can be generated by Africa’s farming communities themselves, making the remedies more affordable, and more easily available to them.
It is not inconceivable that Ganoderma mushrooms and other nutriceuticals could become a possible alternative to ARVs, or a complementary treatment with the more costly ARVs. This could lead to a reduction in the ARV dosage, and hence in the treatment costs.
The observed health promotive effects of Ganoderma lucidum may be attributable to possible synergistic action of the wide range of over 150 different biocompounds found in Ganoderma mycelia and fruit bodies. These are inclusive of triterpenoids, polysaccharides, peptides, and organically combined elements, such as germanium, selenium, etc. Ganoderma mushrooms thus seem to be one of the world’s mysterious biological treasures which, when further researched, may prove to be more precious than gold, especially in the context of the great war against HIV/AIDS.
Here it is important to point out that parallel Ganoderma lucidum clinical trials on HIV/AIDS patients undertaken by senior medical doctors at the Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation in Lusaka, Zambia, also generated very promising results, which will also be published in due course.
We call upon multidisciplinary teams of medical doctors, biologists, natural products chemists, social scientists, etc., to join hands in the collaborative research towards unravelling the many cryptic virtues of unresearched biological treasures found in Africa’s various ecosystems. This is the right road and direction towards addressing Africa’s challenges of ignorance, poverty, loss of biodiversity, food insecurity, and devastating pandemics, such as HIV/AIDS. The work of Dr. Waza Kaunda in Lusaka, for example, revealed that the health benefits generated by the mushroom Schizophyllum commune on HIV/AIDS patients, are almost comparable to those of Ganoderma (Kaunda, 2005). Schizophyllum commune is widely distributed in Africa’s various ecosystems, still growing in the wild. It certainly also deserves attention.
We realise that some of the biological treasures found in Africa are endemic, and need to be conserved as a part of our global world heritage. Some are endangered, due to excessive deforestation, over-harvesting, and uncontrolled forest fires. Strategies towards their conservation and sustainable management, must be put in place. We need to promote research, public awareness, and community education on these treasures, at all levels. We appeal to African Governments, various UN agencies, and the Donor community, to support these visions and efforts.






REFERENCES
Chang, S.T. and K.E. Mshigeni. 2001. Mushrooms and Human Health: their growing significance as potent dietary supplements. University of Namibia. Windhoek. 79pp.
Chang, S.T. and J.A. Buswell. 2003. Medicinal Mushrooms: a prominent source of nutriceuticals for the 21st centuary. Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research. Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 257-280.
Felton, B. and M. Fowler. 1994. The best, the worst, and most unusual. Galahad Books. New York. 562 pp.
Kaunda, W. 2005. Ganoderma clinical testing in Zambia: a presentation made at the UNDP/UNOPS ZERI Regional Project Consultative Workshop. Windhoek, Namibia. October 24-28, 2005.
Kim, H.W. and B.K. Kim. 1999. Biological triterpenoids of Ganoderma lucidum (Aphyllophoromycetidaeae). Intl. J. Med. Mushrooms, 1: 121-130.
Miles, P.G. and S.T. Chang. 1997. Mushroom Biology: concise basics and current developments. World Scientific. 184 pp.
Mshigeni, K.E. 2001. The cost of scientific and technological ignorance, with special reference to Africa’s rich biodiversity. University of Namibia. Windhoek. 50 pp.
Republikein, Woensdag, 16 November 2005, p.7.
Stanislaus, C.S. 2002. Mystical Remedy of the Ancients, Ling Zhi – Ganoderma lucidum. Printed in India. 59 pp.
Zhang, L. 1993. Ling Zhi, an immunomodulator (a review). In: Zhu, S. and M. Mori. (Eds), Research on Ganoderma lucidum (Part One). Shanghai Medical University Press. Pp. 343-346.

AKNOWLEGEMENTS
The clinical testing research team at the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, under the leadership of Dr. Daniel Mtango, was able to undertake the study through funding support provided by the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa to the ZERI Regional Project, executed by the UN Offices for Project Services (UNOPS); the visionary leadership of the Government Ministry of Health, Tanzania, who granted the necessary medicinal ethical clearance that enabled the study to commence; and the kind co-operation of the Kinondoni District Medical Officer, who granted permission to use patients from the Kinondoni District hospital, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. of a leading medicinal mushroom scientist, Prof. S.T. Chang; and also from Concord Health, from whom high quality Ganoderma lucidum capsules used in the research, were secured. We are most grateful to UNDP Africa, UNOPS, UNU, UNESCO, UNDP Namibia, and the University of Namibia, for their encouragement and support, and to all the stakeholders for their various inputs.

August 22, 2008 | 11:15 AM Comments  2 comments

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tassie Tassie
October 12, 2008 | 8:45 PM

Ok ,its worth a try.
PersonalLoans Lisa P
November 25, 2008 | 2:35 AM
Health care is...
Health care is important in order to keep people healthy. But there are some people that because of being financially handicapped they do not seek anymore for medication. Health problems could really leave a major strain to our budget that’s why aside from doctors, patient also need payday installment loans. to cover those unexpected doctor bills. For those financial emergencies, small consumer loans should be an option
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