Abstract:To achieve efficient utilization of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides (GLP), the extraction process of polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies was optimized through single-factor and response surface methodology. The in vitro antioxidant capacity of GLP was subsequently determined. Based on these findings, an oxidative damage model was established using H2O2-induced HepG2 cells to investigate the protective effects of GLP against cellular oxidative stress. The results demonstrated that the optimal extraction conditions were determined to be: extraction temperature of 88℃, water extraction time of 2.5 hours, liquid-to-solid ratio of 41:1 (mL/g), and ultrasonic treatment duration of 40 minutes, yielding a polysaccharide yield rate of 3.05%. At a concentration of 1 mg/mL, GLP exhibited remarkable scavenging activities against Oxhydryl (·OH), 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH), and 2,2'-Azidobis (3-Ethylbenzo Dihydrothiazoline-6-Sulfonic), (ABTS), with scavenging rates reaching 79.49%, 70.55%, and 79.61%, respectively. Cellular experiments revealed that GLP at a concentration of 8 μg/mL was able to restore cell viability to nearly 100%. Compared with the model group, all GLP treatment groups showed significant increases in Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) by 28.44% to 61.61% and Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) by 58.61% to 101.75%, while Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were reduced by 14.28% to 32.89%. Furthermore, GLP treatment was found to effectively reduce Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) accumulation and significantly downregulate the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 genes while upregulating Keap1 gene expression (P<0.01). The protective effects against oxidative stress were mediated through the activation of the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. This study provides valuable reference for the development of GLP extraction methods and antioxidant functional products.