Immunomodulating and anti-tumor action of extracts of several mushrooms

Abstract

Aqueous extracts from fruit bodies and mycelia of various higher Basidiomycetes were studied in search for reliable biological effects. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted. The results showed that the aqueous extracts demonstrated various types of marked biological actions: an increased production of reactive oxygen forms by neutrophil cells of human peripheral blood; a significant mitogenic activity in a wide range of concentrations; stimulation on production of inflammatory cytokines interleukine 1-β and interleukine-8 by peripheral blood cells; a decrease in both average tumor size in mice with transplanted melanoma B16 and a manifestation of tumorous intoxication; and a prolongation in the survival rate of such mice.

Introduction

It is well known that higher Basidiomycetes have a wide spectrum of therapeutic and prophylactic properties (Hobbs, 1995, Bobek et al., 1998, Zhuang and Mizuno, 1999, Gunde-Cimerman, 1999, Zhang et al., 1999, Kino et al., 1989, Mau et al., 2002 and others). Among the most important ones are immunomodulating and anti-tumor activities of various species of Basidiomycetes (Jong and Donovick, 1989, Mizuno, 1995b).

Numerous studies conducted on anti-tumor activity possessed by natural compounds, including compounds of mushroom origin, contributed to the search of possibilities to resolve this global problem (Collins and Ng, 1987, Hishida et al., 1988, Chihara, 1992, Jong and Birmingham, 1992, Ikekawa, 1995, Fujimiya et al., 1998, Ng, 1998, Mizuno, 1999a, Mizuno, 2000, Ooi and Liu, 2000, Wasser, 2002, and the others). Within half a century, mycology has made a profound impact from the first articles on research of anti-tumor activity of extracts from carpophores of various species of macromycetes (Kanatsu et al., 1963, Gregory et al., 1966, Espenshade and Griffith, 1966) in creating “basidial” remedies and introducing them to the world pharmaceutical market (Mizuno, 1995a, Mizuno, 1999b; Wasser and Weis, 1999, and many others).

For the past decades, the strategy of research on the anti-tumor and immunomodulating properties in high-Basidiomycetes logically headed on a general course of complex research of therapeutic, prophylactic, nutritious and other benefits of macromycetes. Foremost, the initial approach focused on the most popular species in mushroom industry, from genus Agaricus, Pleurotus, Lentinus, Ganoderma, Grifola, Flammulina, Volvariella, Auricularia and Tremella (Chang, 1999). However, many other species warrant further research.

Therefore, we conducted an experimental study on immunomodulating and anti-tumor activities of several mushrooms: Armillaria mellea (Vahl: Fr.) P. Kumm., Bjerkandera adusta (Willd.: Fr.) P. Karst., Flammulina velutipes (Curt.: Fr.) Singer, Fomes fomentarius (L.: Fr.) Fr., Fomitopsis pinicola (Sw.: Fr.) P. Karst., Ganoderma lipsiense (Batsch) G.F. Atk. (=G. applanatum (Wallr.) Pat.), Piptoporus betulinus (Bull.: Fr.) P. Karst., Pleurotus cornucopiae (Pau. ex Pers.) Rollan (=P. citrinopileatus Singer), P. ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm., Trametes suaveolens (Fr.) Fr., Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull. ex St. Amans) Wettst., Inonotus obliquus (Pers.: Fr.) Pilўt, Inonotus radiatus (Sowerby: Fr.) P. Karst., Tremella foliacea (Pers.: Fr.), Tricholoma portentosum (Fr.) Quél., Grifola frondosa (Dicks.: Fr.) Gray, Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Singer.

Some of the species tested in this work were never studied before for immunomodulating activity.