Anticancer Effects of Fraction Isolated from Fruiting Bodies of Chaga Medicinal Mushroom, Inonotus obliquus (Pers.:Fr.) Pilát (Aphyllophoromycetideae): In Vitro Studies

Chaga mushroom: a super-fungus with countless facets and untapped potential

Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) is an inexpensive fungus with a broad range of traditional and medicinal applications. These applications include therapy for breast, cervix, and skin cancers, as well as treating diabetes. However, its benefits are virtually untapped due to a limited understanding of its mycochemical composition and bioactivities. In this article, we explore the ethnobotany, mycochemistry, pharmacology, traditional therapeutic, cosmetic, and prospective agricultural uses. The review establishes that several secondary metabolites, such as steroids, terpenoids, and other compounds exist in chaga. Findings on its bioactivity have demonstrated its ability as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antitumor agent. The study also demonstrates that Chaga powder has a long history of traditional use for medicinal purposes, pipe smoking rituals, and mystical future forecasts. The study further reveals that the applications of Chaga powder can be extended to industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and agriculture. However numerous publications focused on the pharmaceutical benefits of Chaga with few publications on other applications. Overall, chaga is a promising natural resource with a wide range of potential applications and therefore the diverse array of therapeutic compounds makes it an attractive candidate for various applications such as plant biofertilizers and active ingredients in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Thus, further exploration of Chaga's potential benefits in agriculture and other industries could lead to exciting new developments and innovations.

Integrated omic profiling of the medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus under submerged conditions

BACKGROUND

The Inonotus obliquus mushroom, a wondrous fungus boasting edible and medicinal qualities, has been widely used as a folk medicine and shown to have many potential pharmacological secondary metabolites. The purpose of this study was to supply a global landscape of genome-based integrated omic analysis of the fungus under lab-growth conditions.

RESULTS

This study presented a genome with high accuracy and completeness using the Pacbio Sequel II third-generation sequencing method. The de novo assembled fungal genome was 36.13 Mb, and contained 8352 predicted protein-coding genes, of which 365 carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme)-coding genes and 19 biosynthetic gene clusters (BCGs) for secondary metabolites were identified. Comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis revealed a global view of differential metabolic change between seed and fermentation culture, and demonstrated positive correlations between transcription and expression levels of 157 differentially expressed genes involved in the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, secondary metabolites, antioxidant and immune responses. Facilitated by the widely targeted metabolomic approach, a total of 307 secondary substances were identified and quantified, with a significant increase in the production of antioxidant polyphenols.

CONCLUSION

This study provided the comprehensive analysis of the fungus Inonotus obliquus, and supplied fundamental information for further screening of promising target metabolites and exploring the link between the genome and metabolites.

Anti-cancer activity of Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) against dog bladder cancer organoids

Despite its disadvantages, chemotherapy is still commonly used for the treatment of bladder cancer (BC). Developing natural supplements that can target cancer stem cells (CSCs) which cause drug resistance and distant metastasis is necessary. Chaga mushrooms are popular to have several health-promoting and anti-cancer potentials. Organoid culture can recapitulate tumor heterogeneity, epithelial environment, and genetic and molecular imprints of the original tissues. In the previous study, we generated dog bladder cancer organoids (DBCO) as a novel experimental model of muscle-invasive BCO. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the anti-tumor potentials of Chaga mushroom extract (Chaga) against DBCO. Four strains of DBCO were used in the present study. Treatment with Chaga inhibited the cell viability of DBCO in a concentration-dependent way. Treatment of DBCO with Chaga has significantly arrested its cell cycle and induced apoptosis. Expression of bladder CSC markers, CD44, C-MYC, SOX2, and YAP1, declined in the Chaga-treated DBCO. Also, Chaga inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK in DBCO. Expression of downstream signals of ERK, C-MYC, and Cyclins (Cyclin-A2, Cyclin-D1, Cyclin-E1, and CDK4) was also inhibited by Chaga in DBCO. Interestingly, the combinational treatment of DBCO with Chaga and anti-cancer drugs, vinblastine, mitoxantrone, or carboplatin, showed a potentiating activity. In vivo, Chaga administration decreased tumor growth and weight of DBCO-derived xenograft in mice with the induction of necrotic lesions. In conclusion, Chaga diminished the cell viability of DBCO by inhibiting proliferation-related signals and stemness conditions as well as by arresting the cell cycle. Collectively, these data suggest the value of Chaga as a promising natural supplement that could potentiate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy, lower its adverse effects, and thus, limit the recurrence and metastasis of BC.

The Health and Clinical Benefits of Medicinal Fungi

The human uses of mushrooms and cultured mycelium products for nutrition and medicine are detailed and supported by available human studies, which in many cases are clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals. The major medically active immunomodulating compounds in the cell walls-chitin, beta-glucans, and glycoproteins, as well as lower weight molecules-nitrogen-containing compounds, phenolics, and terpenes-are discussed in relation to their current clinical uses. The nutritional content and foods derived from mushrooms, particularly related to their medical benefits, are discussed. High-quality major nutrients such as the high amounts of complete protein and prebiotic fibers found in edible and medicinal fungi and their products are presented. Mushrooms contain the highest amount of valuable medicinal fiber, while dried fruiting bodies of some fungi have up to 80% prebiotic fiber. These fibers are particularly complex and are not broken down in the upper gut, so they can diversify the microbiome and increase the most beneficial species, leading to better immune regulation and increasing normalizing levels of crucial neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Since the growth of medicinal mushroom products is expanding rapidly worldwide, attention is placed on reviewing important aspects of mushroom and mycelium cultivation and quality issues relating to adulteration, substitution, and purity and for maximizing medicinal potency. Common questions surrounding medicinal mushroom products in the marketplace, particularly the healing potential of fungal mycelium compared with fruiting bodies, extraction methods, and the use of fillers in products, are all explored, and many points are supported by the literature.

Antioxidant Activity of Mushroom Extracts/Polysaccharides-Their Antiviral Properties and Plausible AntiCOVID-19 Properties

Mushrooms have been long accomplished for their medicinal properties and bioactivity. The ancients benefitted from it, even before they knew that there was more to mushrooms than just the culinary aspect. This review addresses the benefits of mushrooms and specifically dwells on the positive attributes of mushroom polysaccharides. Compared to mushroom research, mushroom polysaccharide-based reports were observed to be significantly less frequent. This review highlights the antioxidant properties and mechanisms as well as consolidates the various antioxidant applications of mushroom polysaccharides. The biological activities of mushroom polysaccharides are also briefly discussed. The antiviral properties of mushrooms and their polysaccharides have been reviewed and presented. The lacunae in implementation of the antiviral benefits into antiCOVID-19 pursuits has been highlighted. The need for expansion and extrapolation of the knowns of mushrooms to extend into the unknown is emphasized.

Promising Anti-cancer Therapeutics From Mushrooms: Current Findings and Future Perceptions

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, medicines derived from natural sources have drawn much attention as potential therapeutic agents in the suppression and treatment of cancer because of their low toxicity and fewer side effects.

OBJECTIVE

The present review aims to assess the currently available knowledge on the ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological activities of bioactive compounds obtained from medicinal mushrooms towards cancer treatment.

METHODS

A literature search has been conducted for the collection of research papers from universally accepted scientific databases. These research papers and published book chapters were scrutinized to retrieve information on ethnomedicinal uses of mushrooms, different factors involved in cancer cell proliferation, clinical and in silico pharmaceutical studies made for possible treatments of cancer using mushroom derived compounds. Overall, 241 articles were retrieved and reviewed from the year 1970 to 2020, out of which 98 relevant articles were finally considered for the preparation of this review.

RESULTS

This review presents an update on the natural bioactive substances derived from medicinal mushrooms and their role in inhibiting the factors responsible for cancer cell proliferation. Along with it, the present review also provides information on the ethnomedicinal uses, solvents used for extraction of anti-cancer metabolites, clinical trials, and in silico studies that were undertaken towards anticancer drug development from medicinal mushrooms.

CONCLUSION

The present review provides extensive knowledge on various anti-cancer substances obtained from medicinal mushrooms, their biological actions, and in silico drug designing approaches, which could form a basis for the development of natural anti-cancer therapeutics.

Water Extract of Mixed Mushroom Mycelia Grown on a Solid Barley Medium Is Protective against Experimental Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Although the individual consumption of medicinal mushrooms, including Phellinus linteus (PL), Ganoderma lucidum (GL), and Inonotus obliquus (IO), is known to be neuroprotective, the associated mechanisms underlying their therapeutic synergism on focal cerebral ischemia (fCI) have yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of mixed mushroom mycelia (MMM) against experimental fCI. The water-fractions, ethanolic-fractions, and ethyl acetate-fractions of the MMM (PL, GL, and IO) grown in a barley medium using solid-state fermentation techniques were prepared and their protective effects against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity were compared in PC-12 cells. After the identification of the water extracts of MMM (wMMM) as the most suitable form, which possessed the lowest toxicity and highest efficacy, further analyses for evaluating the anti-apoptotic effects of wMMM, including Hoechst 33258-based nuclear staining, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection assays, were performed. Rats were subjected to a 90 min middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion, after which a wMMM treatment resulted in significant dose-dependent improvements across a number of parameters. Furthermore, measurements of intracellular ROS and levels of antioxidant enzymes revealed a wMMM-mediated ROS attenuation and antioxidant enzyme upregulation. We suggest that wMMM is neuroprotective against fCI through its anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative effects.

Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application

Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) is a kind of medicine and health food widely used by folk in China, Russia, Korea, and some occidental countries. Among the extracts from Inonotus obliquus, Inonotus obliquus polysaccharide (IOPS) is supposed to be one of the major bioactive components in Inonotus obliquus, which possesses antitumor, antioxidant, anti-virus, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities. In this review, the current advancements on extraction, purification, structural characteristics, and biological activities of IOPS were summarized. This review can provide significant insight into the IOPS bioactivities as their in vitro and in vivo data were summarized, and some possible mechanisms were listed. Furthermore, applications of IOPS were reviewed and discussed; IOPS might be a potential candidate for the treatment of cancers and type 2 diabetes. Besides, new perspectives for the future work of IOPS were also proposed.

The Antiviral, Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Natural Medicinal Herbs and Mushrooms and SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The 2019 novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, producing the disease COVID-19 is a pathogenic virus that targets mostly the human respiratory system and also other organs. SARS-CoV-2 is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans, however there have been previous outbreaks of different versions of the beta coronavirus including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV1) from 2002 to 2003 and the most recent Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) which was first identified in 2012. All of the above have been recognised as major pathogens that are a great threat to public health and global economies. Currently, no specific treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection has been identified; however, certain drugs have shown apparent efficacy in viral inhibition of the disease. Natural substances such as herbs and mushrooms have previously demonstrated both great antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity. Thus, the possibilities of natural substances as effective treatments against COVID-19 may seem promising. One of the potential candidates against the SARS-CoV-2 virus may be Inonotus obliquus (IO), also known as chaga mushroom. IO commonly grows in Asia, Europe and North America and is widely used as a raw material in various medical conditions. In this review, we have evaluated the most effective herbs and mushrooms, in terms of the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects which have been assessed in laboratory conditions.

Inonotus obliquus - from folk medicine to clinical use

The Inonotus obliquus (I. obliquus) mushroom was traditionally used to treat various gastrointestinal diseases. For many years, mounting evidence has indicated the potential of I. obliquus extracts for treatment of viral and parasitic infections. Furthermore, substances from I. obiquus have been shown to stimulate the immune system. The most promising finding was the demonstration that I. obliquus has hypoglycemic and insulin sensitivity potential. This review summarizes the therapeutic potential of I. obliquus extracts in counteracting the progression of cancers and diabetes mellitus as well as their antiviral and antiparasitic activities and antioxidant role. As shown by literature data, various authors have tried to determine the molecular mechanism of action of I. obliquus extracts. Two mechanisms of action of I. obliquus extracts are currently emerging. The first is associated with the broad-sense impact on antioxidant enzymes and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The other is related to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) effects. This receptor may be a key factor in the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer activity of I. obliquus extracts. It can be concluded that I. obliquus fits the definition of functional food and has a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition; however, studies that meet the evidence-based medicine (EBM) criteria are needed.

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Extracts or polysaccharides from I. obliquus exhibit an anti-cancer potential in vitro.

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Extracts or polysaccharides from I. obliquus exhibit anti-inflammation potential.

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Extracts or polysaccharides from I. obliquus exhibit hypoglycemic and insulin sensitivity potential.

Blocking Effect of Chaga Mushroom (Inonotus oliquus) Extract for Immune Checkpoint CTLA-4/CD80 Interaction

Inonotus obliquus, also known as the Chaga mushroom, has been used as a traditional medicine to treat many different diseases in Asia. Ethanol and water extraction were performed to examine the blocking effect of the Chaga mushroom on the CTLA-4/CD80 interaction. The inhibitory activities of the Chaga mushroom/70% EtOH extract (CME) and the Chaga mushroom/water extract (CMW) were confirmed using several cell-based assays. To identify the contents of major compounds CME and CMW, we performed HPLC analysis. The content of lanosterol (1) in CME was 0.41%. Our findings provide experimental evidence that the Chaga mushroom can develop a small-molecule inhibitor that blocks the CTLA-4/CD80 interaction.

Effect of mushrooms on obesity in animal models: study protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Obesity and its consequences are worldwide epidemic problem; therefore, studies with strategies and mechanisms that favor weight loss to improve outcomes in health are necessary. Effects of mushrooms on body weight are uncertain. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the efficacy of mushrooms in weight loss in animal preclinical models.

METHOD

This is a systematic review of preclinical studies of animal models of obesity (any type of non-aquatic mammal), which were exposed to edible and medicinal mushrooms orally in comparison with the control. The following databases will be used: MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, BIOSIS, SCOPUS, and gray literature. There will be no restriction of language, date, or publication status. The primary outcome will be body weight loss. And the secondary outcomes include the total amount of food consumed by the animals, analysis of metabolic parameters, inflammatory mediators, mortality for any causes, and any adverse effect reported. A team of reviewers will select, in pairs and independently, the titles and abstracts, extract data from qualifying studies, and assess bias risk (using SYstematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation SYRCLE's risk of bias tool and the Collaborative Approach to Meta-Analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies (CAMARADES) checklist). The standardized mean difference (SMD) will be calculated to measure treatment effect, with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The heterogeneity between-study will be calculated by I2 inconsistency values and Cochran's Q statistical test, where I2 > 50% and/or p < 0.10 suggest high heterogeneity meta-analyses of random effects will be conducted as possible.

DISCUSSION

Although many experimental studies about the effects of mushrooms on obesity have already been published, there is still no consensus in the literature. This study will provide evidences of preclinical research on mushrooms and their relation to body weight loss in animal models of obesity, being non-aquatic mammals. Also, this systematic review will show the limitations and strengths of the studies available in the literature, as well as it will to encourage the financing of new studies by public health managers and governmental entities.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42019125299).

Inonotus obliquus Extract as An Inhibitor of α-MSH-Induced Melanogenesis in B16F10 Mouse Melanoma Cells

Melanogenesis is a biosynthetic pathway that produces the pigment melanin in human skin. The catalyzation of the key enzyme tyrosinase is the first step in melanogenesis, and the downregulation of tyrosinase enzyme activity is the most reported method for inhibiting melanogenesis. Hyperpigmentation is an important issue in the cosmetic industry, and there is great demand for melanogenesis inhibitors. In the present study, we demonstrated the anti-melanogenic effect of Inonotus obliquus in alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-induced B16F10 mouse melanoma cells and identified it as a new melanogenesis inhibitor. Comparing the B16F10 cells treated with the control and the Inonotus obliquus extract, we identified the melanin contents, mRNA and protein expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase activity, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) activity using a constructed plasmid. Through these experiments, we confirmed that Inonotus obliquus extract inhibits melanin synthesis by downregulating the activity and expression of tyrosinase. Furthermore, we revealed that tyrosinase expression is regulated by Inonotus obliquus extract via the repression of Mitf transcriptional activity. Thus, in this study, we found that Inonotus obliquus extract has anti-melanogenic effects via the suppression of melanin synthesis. Taken together, we demonstrated that Inonotus obliquus extract is a good potential candidate for use as a natural source for the therapeutic treatment of hyperpigmentation and for applications in whitening cosmetic products.

Synthesis of porous Pd nanoparticles by therapeutic chaga extract for highly efficient tri-modal cancer treatment

Porous palladium nanoparticles were designed and synthesized to maximize the pharmacological activity of the chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) extract, which has anticancer and antibacterial activities. In the present study, we synthesized anisotropic porous Pd nanostructures with ultraviolet-visible-near infrared whole wavelength region absorption using chaga extract concentration-dependent reductant-mediated synthesis. The porous Pd nanoparticles exhibited a surface chaga extract-derived anticancer effect, controlled delivery of doxorubicin through electrostatic interaction, and a photothermal conversion effect under 808 nm laser irradiation. The combined application of the three cancer treatment approaches clearly demonstrated the feasibility of synergistic tri-modal therapy. The present platform using Pd, which is a key constituent element of nanocatalysts but is not commonly used in biological applications, suggests numerous applications utilizing Pd nanostructures, as well as the potential development of new cancer therapies.

Cytotoxic Evaluation of Compounds Isolated from the Aerial Parts of Hedyotis pilulifera and Methanol Extract of Inonotus obliquus

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory activity of compounds isolated from the aerial parts of Hedyotis pilulifera (Pit.) T.N. Ninh toward selected cancer cell lines. The isolated compounds were identified by analyzing their nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data and physical properties, and comparison of these with reported data. The sulforhodamine B assay was used for the cytotoxic evaluation of isolates. Among twenty-one compounds isolated from H. pilulifera, compounds 2, 3, and 4 showed moderate inhibitory effect on MCF-7 with IC50 values of 63.5, 59.4, and 52.7 μg/mL, respectively, while the other compounds exhibited no effect (IC50 values > 100 μg/mL). Further investigation using HT29, LU-1, HL-60, KB, Hep G2, and SK-Mel2 cancer cell lines showed the moderate cytotoxic activity of compound 3 (IC50 values ranging from 51.7 to 78.3 μg/mL) to all cells, while compound 4 showed selective effect only against HL-60 cells (IC50 61.5 μg/mL). This is the first report of cytotoxic activity of pomolic acid 3β-acetate (3) toward all tested cancer cell lines, and also the first report of cytotoxicity of rotungenic acid (4) against LU-1, HL-60, KB, Hep G2, and SK-Mel2 cancer cell lines. The methanol extract of chaga mushroom { Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát} exhibited the strongest cytotoxic effects against HL-60 and LU-1 (32.2 and 38.0 μg/mL, respectively), and modest cytotoxic effects against SW480 (41.3 μg/mL), HepG2 (51.3 μg/mL), KB (57.0 μg/mL), and LNCaP (57.7 μg/mL). We conclude that compounds 3 and 4 from H. pilulifera may be useful in further investigation for anticancer agent discovery and chaga could be used as a natural anticancer remedy against promyelocytic leukemia and lung adenocarcinoma.

The mast cell stabilizing activity of Chaga mushroom critical for its therapeutic effect on food allergy is derived from inotodiol

While an anti-allergic effect of Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) has been indicated, its therapeutic effect on allergy and immunoregulatory mechanisms and chemical constituents directly responsible for that are hardly known. We examined the effect of 70% ethanol extract of Chaga mushroom (EE) and its dichloromethane (DF) and aqueous (AF) fractions using a mouse model of chicken ovalbumin (cOVA)-induced food allergy, and found that only EE and DF ameliorated allergy symptoms to a significant extent. The in vivo mast cell-stabilizing activity was also found only in EE and DF whereas the activities to suppress Th2 and Th17 immune responses and cOVA-specific IgE production in the small intestine were observed in all three treatment regimens, implying that inhibition of the mast cell function by lipophilic compounds was vital for the therapeutic effect. Results also indicated that inotodiol, a triterpenoid predominantly present in DF, played an active role as a mast cell stabilizer.

The relevance of folkloric usage of plant galls as medicines: Finding the scientific rationale

Galls, the abnormal growths in plants, induced by virus, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, arthropods, or even other plants, are akin to cancers in fauna. The galls which occur in a myriad of forms are phytochemically-distinct from the normal plant tissues, for these are the sites of tug-of-war, just like the granuloma in animals. To counter the stressors, in the form of the effector proteins of the invaders, the host plants elaborate a large repertoire of metabolites, which they normally will not produce. Perturbation of the jasmonic acid pathway, and the overexpression of auxin, and cytokinin, promote the tissue proliferation and the resultant galls. Though the plant family characteristics and the attackers determine the gall biochemistry, most of the galls are rich in bioactive phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins, purpurogallin, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, triterpenes, alkaloids, lipophilic components (tanshinone) etc. Throughout the long trajectory of evolution, humans have learned to use the galls as therapeutics, much like other plant parts. In diverse cultures, the evidence of folkloric usage of galls abound. Among others, galls from the plant genus like Rhus, Pistacia, Quercus, Terminalia etc. are popular as ethnomedicine. This review mines the literature on galling agents, and the medicinal relevance of galls.

Anti-Inflammatory Phenolic Metabolites from the Edible Fungus Phellinus baumii in LPS-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells

The edible fungus Phellinus baumii Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae) has been used in Korean traditional medicines for strengthening health and prolonging life. An extract of the fruiting bodies of P. baumii was subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation based on its anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The resulting fractions were chemically investigated, leading to isolation of three phenolic compounds (1-3), a sesquiterpene (4), two steroids (5-6), a fatty acid (7), and a cerebroside (8). Spectroscopic analyses including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and LC/MS were used to determine their chemical structures. Compounds 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 were identified in P. baumii for the first time. Since all compounds were isolated from active fractions with anti-inflammatory activity, their ability to inhibit LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells were evaluated in vitro. Compounds 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 inhibited LPS-stimulated NO production, and compounds 1-3 had IC₅₀ values <10 μM. Treatment of LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with compounds 1-3 inhibited phosphorylation of IKKα and IκBα. In addition, treatment of compounds 1-3 reduced LPS-induced increases of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions. Collectively, compounds 1-3 inhibited NF-κB-dependent inflammation in RAW264.7 cells. Thus, P. baumii is a potential source of natural anti-inflammatory agents, and active compounds 1-3 could be promising lead compounds for the development of novel anti-inflammatory agents.

Chemical characterization and biological activity of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), a medicinal "mushroom"

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In Russian traditional medicine, an extract from the mushroom Inonotus obliquus (Fr.) Pil´at is used as an anti-tumor medicine and diuretic. It has been reported that Inonotus obliquus has therapeutic effects, such as anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory and hepatoprotective effects. This study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and biological properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Inonotus obliquus from Finland, Russia, and Thailand. Their antioxidative, antimicrobial, and antiquorum properties were tested as well as the cytotoxicity on various tumor cell lines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The tested extract was subjected to conventional chemical study to identified organic acids and phenolic compounds. Antioxidative activity was measured by several different assays. Antimicrobial potential of extracts was tested by microdilution method, and antiquorum sensing activity and antibiofilm formation of Inonotus obliquus extracts was tested on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was tested on tumor cells (MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa and HepG2) and non-tumor liver cells primary cultures.

RESULTS

Oxalic acid was found as the main organic acid, with the highest amount in the aqueous extract from Russia. Gallic, protocatechuic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were detected in all samples. Inonotus obliquus extracts showed high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Extracts were tested at subMIC for anti-quorum sensing (AQS) activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and all extracts showed definite AQS activity. The assays were done using twitching and swarming of bacterial cultures, and the amount of produced pyocyanin as QS parameters. All the extracts demonstrated cytotoxic effect on four tumor cell lines and not on primary porcine liver cells PLP2.

CONCLUSIONS

As the Inonotus obliquus presence in Chaga conks is limited, further purification is necessary to draw quantitative conclusions. The presence of AQS activity in medicinal mushrooms suggests a broader anti-infectious disease protection than only immunomodulatory effects.

Estonian folk traditional experiences on natural anticancer remedies: from past to the future

CONTEXT

Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advancements, the burden of cancer is still increasing worldwide. Toxicity of current chemotherapeutics to normal cells and their resistance to tumor cells highlights the urgent need for new drugs with minimal adverse side effects. The use of natural anticancer agents has entered into the area of cancer research and increased efforts are being made to isolate bioactive products from medicinal plants.

OBJECTIVE

To lead the search for plants with potential cytotoxic activity, ethnopharmacological knowledge can give a great contribution. Therefore, the attention of this review is devoted to the natural remedies traditionally used for the cancer treatment by Estonian people over a period of almost 150 years.

METHODS

Two massive databases, the first one stored in the Estonian Folklore Archives and the second one in the electronic database HERBA ( http://herba.folklore.ee/ ), containing altogether more than 30 000 ethnomedicinal texts were systematically reviewed to compile data about the Estonian folk traditional experiences on natural anticancer remedies.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

As a result, 44 different plants with potential anticancer properties were elicited, 5 of which [Angelica sylvestris L. (Apiaceae), Anthemis tinctoria L. (Asteraceae), Pinus sylvestris L. (Pinaceae), Sorbus aucuparia L. (Rosaceae), and Prunus padus L. (Rosaceae)] have not been previously described with respect to their tumoricidal activities in the scientific literature, suggesting thus the potential herbal materials for further investigations of natural anticancer compounds.