Towards medicinal tea from untapped Namibian Ganoderma: Phenolics and in vitro antioxidant activity of wild and cultivated mushrooms

Ganoderma is a genus of mushrooms that prized in developed nations, especially those Asia, due to its health-promoting properties, which are attributed bioactive compounds such as phenolics. However, developing countries, particularly Africa, untapped and barely identified. In this study, we identified species collected from different host trees the wild Namibia, cultivated them on one substrate determined their water absorption solubility indices. Total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), condensed tannins (CT) vitro antioxidant activity (AA) were hot infusions made mushrooms. Folin–Ciocalteu, aluminium chloride, vanillin-HCl, DPPH assay methods used determine TP, TF, CT AA, respectively. Wild had 6.12–11.70% moisture, 1.91–5.32% ash, 11.55–24.40 (g absorbed water/g dry sample) index, 3.60–24.10% 18.37–44.78 (mg GAE/g 0.09–1.67 QE/g 2.97–6.37 CAE/g 40.8–49.3% AA. Cultivated 9.64 13.45% 2.34–6.20% 13.55–28.30 6.40–25.35% 36.70–52.73 0.41–0.86 11.38–15.29 53.6–63.7% Infusions prepared higher levels but lower TF than species, suggesting they have potential nutraceuticals. Significance: The identification confirmation highly Lingzhi ‘mushrooms immortality’ Namibia highlights presence resource Africa potentially worth billions dollars. cultivation phenolic content high-value medicinal mushroom been demonstrated. Cultivation could lead sustainable utilisation employment creation countries suffer unemployment rates at least 30%.