Hermetica Superfood Encyclopedia
The Short Answer
Antrodia cinnamomea contains over 200 bioactive compounds — prominently lanostane-type triterpenoids (antcins A–K, eburicoic acid, dehydrosulfurenic acid) and structurally complex polysaccharides (ACP, ACP2, ACPS-1) — that exert hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, and anticancer effects through glucocorticoid-like receptor mimicry, NF-κB/Nrf2 pathway modulation, and macrophage activation. Preclinical data show antcin K reaches concentrations of 15.25 mg/g in disc-cultured fruiting bodies and total triterpenoids in the red phenotype reach 116.4 mg/g, with demonstrated cytotoxicity against multiple human cancer cell lines and a NOAEL of 1000 mg/kg/day established in 90-day rat toxicity studies.
CategoryMushroom
GroupMushroom/Fungi
Evidence LevelPreliminary
Primary KeywordAntrodia cinnamomea benefits
Antrodia cinnamomea — botanical close-up
Health Benefits
**Hepatoprotection**
The polysaccharide ACP2, containing a distinctive 6-deoxyglucose chain, reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatocyte inflammation, while multiple triterpenoids collectively attenuate oxidative hepatic injury, supporting the fungus's primary traditional use as a liver-protective agent.
**Anticancer Activity**
ACPS-1 polysaccharide and the ubiquinone derivative 4-acetylantroquinonol B (MW 462.6 g/mol) demonstrate antiproliferative activity against mouse and human cancer cell lines in vitro, with triterpenoids inducing apoptosis through disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and cell cycle arrest.
**Immunomodulation**
ACP polysaccharide stimulates phagocytosis and bactericidal activity in J774A.1 macrophages by activating protein kinase C-α and triggering mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation cascades, enhancing innate immune surveillance.
**Anti-Inflammatory Effects**
Antcin A mimics glucocorticoid action via its C-7 carbonyl/hydroxyl structural motif, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine production, while antrolone balances NF-κB inhibition with Nrf2 pathway activation to reduce LPS-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells.
**Antidiabetic Potential**
Triterpenoids including eburicoic acid, sulfurenic acid, and dehydrosulphurenic acid exhibit antidiabetic activity in preclinical models, likely through inhibition of α-glucosidase and modulation of insulin-signaling pathways, though human data are absent.
**Neuroprotection**
Ubiquinone derivatives isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea protect PC12 neuronal cells against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity, a standard model of dopaminergic cell death relevant to Parkinson's disease pathology.
**Antioxidant Activity**
The red phenotype (RAC), with total triterpenoids of 116.4 mg/g versus 63.9 mg/g (yellow) and 51.3 mg/g (white), demonstrates the strongest free-radical scavenging capacity, with ergosterol peroxide and other sterol derivatives contributing to overall antioxidant defense.
Origin & History
Natural habitat
Antrodia cinnamomea is a rare, endemic bracket fungus native exclusively to Taiwan, where it parasitizes the inner heartwood of the ancient endemic tree Cinnamomum kanehirae (Taiwan sassafras). Wild fruiting bodies develop slowly on decaying logs in old-growth mountain forests, historically making collection extremely limited and the material highly prized. Due to near-depletion of wild host trees from logging, commercial cultivation via solid-state fermentation, submerged mycelial fermentation, and disc (plate) culture methods has been developed to produce standardized material for research and supplementation.
“Antrodia cinnamomea — called 'Niu-Chang-Chih' (牛樟芝) in Mandarin, meaning 'camphor mushroom' — has been used for centuries by indigenous Taiwanese peoples, particularly the Atayal and other highland tribes, as a folk remedy for liver ailments, food and alcohol poisoning, abdominal pain, hypertension, itchy skin, and tumor-like growths. Its extreme rarity on the wild host tree Cinnamomum kanehirae, combined with the slow growth of fruiting bodies (often taking years to form), gave it an almost mythological status in Taiwanese herbalism and commanded prices historically exceeding those of ginseng or Ganoderma lucidum. Traditional preparation involved drying wild fruiting bodies and consuming them as a tea decoction or steeping them in strong spirits to extract fat-soluble bioactives, a method that likely enriches triterpenoid content. Government-level conservation of C. kanehirae in Taiwan and commercial cultivation development from the 1990s onward transformed Antrodia cinnamomea from an exclusively wild luxury material into a mainstream Taiwanese nutraceutical industry product worth hundreds of millions of New Taiwan dollars annually.”Traditional Medicine
Scientific Research
The research base for Antrodia cinnamomea consists almost entirely of in vitro cell-culture experiments and rodent in vivo studies; no peer-reviewed, randomized controlled clinical trials in human populations with defined sample sizes and effect sizes have been published as of the latest search results. Preclinical anticancer work has examined ACPS-1 polysaccharide and triterpenoid fractions against established mouse (S180, H22) and human (HepG2, MCF-7, A549) cell lines, reporting IC50 values in the low-to-mid micromolar range, but these findings cannot be directly translated to human efficacy without pharmacokinetic bridging studies. A 90-day subchronic oral toxicology study in Sprague-Dawley rats at doses up to 1000 mg/kg/day established a NOAEL with no observed changes in mortality, body weight, organ weights, hematology, serum biochemistry, or histopathology, providing a formal safety anchor. The phenotypic comparison of red, yellow, and white Antrodia cinnamomea demonstrated that the red (RAC) phenotype contains the highest triterpenoid content (116.4 mg/g) and greatest bioactivity in screening assays, informing cultivation standardization, but the overall evidence remains at the preclinical stage and should be interpreted with caution.
Preparation & Dosage
Traditional preparation
**Fruiting Body Powder (disc/plate-cultured)**
50 mg/kg body weight per day (human equivalent extrapolated from rat studies); standardize to total triterpenoid content, preferably red phenotype (RAC) at ≥100 mg/g total triterpenoids
The most triterpenoid-rich form; provisionally used at ~.
**Mycelial Extract (solid-state or submerged fermentation)**
200–500 mg per dose; submerged fermentation yields consistent polysaccharide profiles; verify ACP/ACPS-1 polysaccharide content on certificate of analysis
Commonly encapsulated at .
**Ethanol Extract (standardized)**
Prepared via sequential ethanol extraction followed by silica-gel column chromatography or HPLC purification; used in most preclinical triterpenoid studies; typical research concentrations 50–200 µg/mL in vitro; human oral equivalent not yet clinically validated.
**Traditional Decoction**
Historically, slices of wild fruiting body were simmered in water or soaked in Taiwanese rice wine (mijiu); no standardized preparation protocol exists; bioavailability from this form is undocumented.
**Timing and Administration**
Preclinical oral dosing administered with food to minimize gastric irritation; no clinical data define optimal timing, but fat co-ingestion is theoretically favorable for lipophilic triterpenoid absorption.
**Standardization Note**
10 mg/g) or antcin K (≥15 mg/g) as reference markers, consistent with disc-cultured fruiting body benchmarks reported in published analytical studies
Look for products standardized to antcin C (≥.
Nutritional Profile
Antrodia cinnamomea is not consumed as a dietary staple and does not contribute meaningfully to macronutrient intake at supplemental doses; its nutritional significance lies entirely in its dense concentration of specialized secondary metabolites. Total crude polysaccharides constitute up to 40.96% of dry-weight extract, dominated by mannose-rich heteropolysaccharides (ACP: 75% mannose, 25% galactose; ACP2: glucose:galactose:6-deoxyglucose at 5:2:1; ACPS-1: mannose:xylose:arabinose:fucose:rhamnose at 31.27:1.77:1.44:1.34:1.00). Total triterpenoids range from 51.3 mg/g (white phenotype) to 116.4 mg/g (red phenotype), with disc-cultured fruiting bodies yielding antcin C at 10.25 mg/g, antcin K at 15.25 mg/g, antcin B at 3.94 mg/g, dehydrosulfurenic acid at 5.10 mg/g, and dehydroeburicoic acid at 2.41 mg/g as benchmark reference compounds. Ubiquinone (coenzyme Q) derivatives, ergosterol, ergosterol peroxide, and maleic/succinic acid derivatives contribute additional bioactivity; formal macro- and micronutrient panels and oral bioavailability data for individual compounds in humans have not been published.
How It Works
Mechanism of Action
The polysaccharide ACP activates macrophage innate immunity through protein kinase C-α phosphorylation and downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, enhancing phagocytic and bactericidal function; the structurally distinct ACP2 suppresses hepatic inflammation by attenuating LPS-triggered TLR4/NF-κB signaling, an effect attributed to its 6-deoxyglucose side chain reducing receptor affinity. Antcin A and related lanostane triterpenoids structurally resemble glucocorticoids and interact with glucocorticoid response elements via a C-7 carbonyl/hydroxyl configuration, suppressing COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-6 transcription, while antrolone dually inhibits NF-κB nuclear translocation and upregulates Nrf2-driven antioxidant gene expression (HO-1, NQO1) to resolve oxidative-inflammatory stress. At the anticancer level, triterpenoids and 4-acetylantroquinonol B induce intrinsic apoptosis by collapsing mitochondrial membrane potential, activating caspase-3/9, and modulating Bcl-2/Bax ratios, while also arresting cells in G0/G1 or G2/M phases through cyclin-CDK complex inhibition. Neuroprotective ubiquinone derivatives act as mitochondrial electron-transport-chain cofactors and free-radical scavengers, counteracting 6-hydroxydopamine-induced ROS accumulation and restoring mitochondrial membrane integrity in dopaminergic PC12 cells.
Clinical Evidence
No peer-reviewed human clinical trials with quantified primary endpoints, randomized allocation, or reported confidence intervals have been identified for Antrodia cinnamomea in the available literature. The most structured human-relevant data derive from a rodent subchronic toxicity study establishing a NOAEL of 1000 mg/kg/day, from which a provisional human equivalent dose of approximately 50 mg/kg/day is extrapolated using standard allometric scaling. Anticancer, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory claims rest entirely on in vitro and animal model data, which, while mechanistically coherent and internally consistent, cannot substitute for controlled human trials. Confidence in therapeutic efficacy for any specific clinical indication in humans must therefore be rated as very low pending adequately powered Phase I/II trials.
Safety & Interactions
A formal 90-day subchronic oral toxicology study in Sprague-Dawley rats at doses up to 1000 mg/kg/day found no mortality, no significant alterations in body weight, organ weight, food consumption, hematological indices, serum biochemistry, or histopathological findings, establishing a NOAEL of 1000 mg/kg/day — approximately 20-fold above the provisionally estimated human equivalent dose of 50 mg/kg/day. No human adverse event data, drug interaction studies, or pharmacovigilance reports are available in the published literature, meaning that interactions with hepatically metabolized drugs (CYP450 substrates), immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, or antidiabetic medications cannot be formally excluded given the fungus's broad metabolic activities. Individuals with autoimmune conditions should use caution given demonstrated macrophage and immune-stimulatory effects, and pregnant or lactating women should avoid use entirely due to the complete absence of reproductive safety data. Adulteration with non-authenticated Antrodia species or mycelium-on-grain products is a known commercial quality issue in Taiwan's supplement market, and consumers should verify species authentication via DNA barcoding or HPLC triterpenoid fingerprinting on the product certificate of analysis.
Synergy Stack
Hermetica Formulation Heuristic
Also Known As
Antrodia cinnamomea T.T. Chang & W.N. ChouNiu-Chang-ChihTaiwan antrodia mushroomGanoderma camphoratumTaiwanofungus camphoratusZhang-ZhiAC mushroom
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Antrodia cinnamomea used for?
Antrodia cinnamomea is used primarily for liver protection, immune support, and anti-inflammatory purposes, rooted in centuries of Taiwanese indigenous use for alcohol and food poisoning, hypertension, and tumor conditions. Its triterpenoids (antcins A–K, eburicoic acid) and polysaccharides (ACP, ACP2) are the key bioactive classes responsible for these effects, validated through extensive preclinical in vitro and animal research, though no human clinical trials have yet confirmed efficacy.
What is the recommended dosage of Antrodia cinnamomea?
A provisional human equivalent dose of approximately 50 mg/kg body weight per day is extrapolated from rodent studies using allometric scaling; for a 70 kg adult this equates to roughly 3,500 mg/day, though most commercial supplements are marketed at 200–500 mg per capsule of standardized extract. The NOAEL established in a 90-day rat study is 1000 mg/kg/day, approximately 20-fold higher than the estimated human equivalent, suggesting a reasonable safety margin, but no human dose-finding trial has been completed.
Is Antrodia cinnamomea safe to take?
Preclinical safety data are reassuring: a 90-day oral toxicology study in rats at doses up to 1000 mg/kg/day found no mortality, organ toxicity, or adverse hematological or biochemical changes, yielding a NOAEL at the highest dose tested. However, human safety data are entirely absent, and potential interactions with immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, or CYP450-metabolized drugs cannot be excluded; pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid use until safety data are available.
Which phenotype of Antrodia cinnamomea is most potent?
The red phenotype (RAC) contains the highest total triterpenoid concentration at 116.4 mg/g, compared to 63.9 mg/g in yellow and 51.3 mg/g in white phenotypes, and correspondingly demonstrates the greatest bioactivity in antioxidant and anticancer screening assays. When selecting supplements, seeking products derived from red Antrodia cinnamomea and standardized to triterpenoid content — ideally referencing antcin C (≥10 mg/g) or antcin K (≥15 mg/g) — provides the most potent and analytically traceable material.
Does Antrodia cinnamomea have anticancer properties?
Multiple preclinical studies demonstrate that Antrodia cinnamomea polysaccharides (notably ACPS-1) and triterpenoids, along with the ubiquinone derivative 4-acetylantroquinonol B (MW 462.6 g/mol), inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in human cancer cell lines including HepG2 (liver), MCF-7 (breast), and A549 (lung) cells in vitro. These effects involve mitochondrial apoptotic pathway activation (caspase-3/9, Bcl-2/Bax modulation) and cell cycle arrest, but no human clinical trials have evaluated anticancer efficacy, so the ingredient cannot be characterized as a cancer treatment.
Does Antrodia cinnamomea interact with liver medications or drugs metabolized by the liver?
Antrodia cinnamomea's hepatoprotective triterpenoids may influence liver enzyme activity, potentially affecting the metabolism of drugs processed through the cytochrome P450 system, including statins, anticoagulants, and immunosuppressants. Individuals taking prescription liver medications or drugs with narrow therapeutic windows should consult a healthcare provider before combining them with Antrodia cinnamomea supplements. This interaction risk is particularly relevant given the ingredient's primary mechanism involves modulating hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation.
What is the most bioavailable form of Antrodia cinnamomea — fruiting body, mycelium, or extract?
Standardized extracts containing isolated polysaccharides (such as ACP2) and triterpenoids generally demonstrate superior bioavailability compared to whole fruiting body or mycelium powder, as extraction concentrates the active compounds and improves absorption. The polysaccharide fraction with the distinctive 6-deoxyglucose chain shows enhanced hepatoprotective effects when delivered as a purified extract rather than in raw form. Hot water or dual extraction methods are typically used to maximize the yield of both water-soluble polysaccharides and fat-soluble triterpenoids.
Who benefits most from Antrodia cinnamomea supplementation — individuals with liver disease, healthy people seeking prevention, or both?
Antrodia cinnamomea is most beneficial for individuals with existing hepatic challenges, including those with elevated liver enzymes, fatty liver disease, or exposure to hepatotoxic substances, since its polysaccharides and triterpenoids directly attenuate oxidative liver injury and lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation. Healthy individuals may use it as a preventive hepatoprotective agent, particularly if exposed to environmental toxins, alcohol, or medications that stress liver function. Those with severe liver cirrhosis or acute liver failure should seek professional medical supervision before supplementation, as the ingredient's clinical evidence is strongest in early-to-moderate liver dysfunction contexts.
Explore the Full Encyclopedia
7,400+ ingredients researched, verified, and formulated for optimal synergy.
Browse IngredientsThese statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
hermetica-encyclopedia-canary-zzqv9k4w antrodia-cinnamomea-antrodia-cinnamomea-tt-chang-wn-chou curated by Hermetica Superfoods at ingredients.hermeticasuperfoods.com and licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (non-commercial share-alike, attribution required)
