Anti-Cancer Potential of Edible/Medicinal Mushrooms in Breast Cancer

Unlocking the Potential of Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis): Botanical Overview, Therapeutic Applications, and Nanotechnological Advances

Background:Ganoderma lucidum (GL), commonly known as the "Lingzhi" or "Reishi" mushroom, has long been recognized for its potential health benefits and medicinal properties in traditional Chinese medicine. The unique potential combination of bioactive compounds present in GL, such as triterpenoids, polysaccharides, and peptides, has inspired interest in leveraging their therapeutic potential In recent years, the emerging field of nanotechnology has opened up new possibilities for using the remarkable properties of GL at the nanoscale. Objetive: The main objective of this review is to explore the unique potential of GL in traditional and innovative therapies, particularly in cancer treatment, and to assess how nanotechnology-based strategies can enhance its therapeutic applications.is to explore. Results: Nanotechnology-based strategies have been investigated for the efficient extraction and purification of bioactive compounds from GL. Additionally, nanocarriers and nanoformulations have been developed to protect these sensitive bioactive compounds from degradation, ensuring their stability during storage and transportation. The use of GL-based nanomaterials has shown promising results in several biomedical applications, namely due to their anticancer activity by targeting cancer cells, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting tumor growth. Conclusions: The combination of GL and nanotechnology presents an exciting frontier in the development of novel therapeutic and biomedical applications. Nevertheless, further research and development in this interdisciplinary field are warranted to fully exploit the synergistic benefits offered by GL and nanotechnology. Future prospects include the development of robust clinical trials focused on GL nanotechnology-based cancer therapies to clarify mechanisms of actions and optimize formulations, ultimately leading to innovative solutions for human health and well-being.

Goat's Skim Milk Enriched with Agrocybe aegerita (V. Brig.) Vizzini Mushroom Extract: Optimization, Physico-Chemical Characterization, and Evaluation of Techno-Functional, Biological and Antimicrobial Properties

The aim of this study was to develop a novel functional ingredient-goat's skim milk enriched with Agrocybe aegerita (V. Brig.) Vizzini mushroom extract (ME/M)-using Central Composite Design (CCD). The optimized ME/M ingredient was evaluated for its physico-chemical, techno-functional, biological, and antimicrobial properties. Physico-chemical properties were analyzed using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The ingredient exhibited a polymodal particle size distribution and contained glucans, along with a newly formed polypeptide resulting from the selective cleavage of goat milk proteins. A 0.1% ME/M solution demonstrated good emulsifying and foaming properties. Additionally, ME/M showed strong antiproliferative effects on human cancer cell lines, particularly Caco-2 (colorectal) and MCF7 (breast) cancer cells. The ingredient also promoted HaCaT cell growth without cytotoxic effects, suggesting its safety and potential wound-healing properties. Furthermore, the addition of ME/M to HaCaT cells inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus resulted in reduced IL-6 levels compared to the control (without ME/M), indicating a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effect. The optimized ME/M ingredient also exhibited antibacterial, antifungal, anticandidal, and antibiofilm activity in one-fourth of MIC. These findings suggest that the formulated ME/M ingredient has strong potential for use in the development of functional foods offering both desirable techno-functional properties and bioactive benefits.

Mycochemistry, antioxidant, anticancer activity, and molecular docking of compounds of F12 of ethyl acetate extract of Astraeus asiaticus with BcL2 and Caspase 3

Globally the current research is going for cancer disease management by different strategies as frequency and severity of this disease are increasing day by day. The fruit body of edible and tasty Astraeus asiaticus mushroom was extracted in ethyl acetate solvent (EA) and quantitative analysis revealed that it contained a significant amount of total phenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acids. The FT-IR study revealed different functional groups in the extracts with different characteristic peak values. The GC/MS profile of AAEA (Astraeus asiaticus ethyl acetate) extract exhibited 61 compounds. The column chromatography of AAEA extract was performed and the F12 fraction demonstrated the greatest radical scavenging activity with an EC50 of 25.65 ± 4.82 µg. mL-¹. Mycochemistry (GC and mass spectrum) analysis showed that F12 was a mixture of six important compounds like Hexadecanoic acid, 3,4,5,6 Tetramethyloctane, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester, 1-cyclododecyne, cis-9,10-Epoxyoctadecan-1-ol. The chemical properties of all six compounds were screened by SwissADME and pkCSM and AdmetSAR predictors. Out of them Hexadecanoic acid, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid and 3,4,5,6 Tetramethyloctane, exhibited suitable properties for drug -preparation and they showed anticancer activity and antioxidant activity as per NIST data base and library search. We have tried to focus on anticancer compounds derived from the partial purification (F12) of mushroom extract (AAEA) from this edible mushroom against cancer (cervical, lung, and breast) cell lines. After 24 h of treatment, the percentages of cell growth inhibition of HeLa, MCF-7, and A549 cell lines by highest concentration (1500 µg. mL- 1) of F12 were 92.03 ± 6.21 a, 90.38 ± 4.53a, and 87.51 ± 5.36a % respectively and the IC50 values were 701 ± 11.54, 728.71 ± 10.53, and 806.88 ± 11.52 µg. mL- 1 respectively but the growth of normal cell HEK 293T was inhibited slightly (3.0%). The mechanism of anticancer effect of F12 (AAEAE) on cancer cell lines included induction of apoptosis, LDH leakage, and up regulation of gene expression levels of Caspase 3, Caspase 9, P53, and down regulation of BcL2 of all three cell lines. Molecular docking of the three important compounds (Hexadecanoic acid, 3,4,5,6 Tetramethyloctane and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid), with apoptotic protein Caspase 3 and antiapoptotic protein BcL2 was done to find out the binding affinity, stability and drug- likeness properties of these chemicals. In conclusion, F12 fraction of AAEA extract of this mushroom containing six bioactive compounds was a promising antioxidant and anticancer agent and the use of this fraction in cancer treatment will be a novel study for future drug development.

Therapeutic Scrutiny of Lentinus polychrous with Attention to Its Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Anticancer Attributes

Mushrooms, being a source of therapeutically active compounds, are of great interest to researchers due to their historical usage in traditional therapies and the significant role that natural products have played in the development of contemporary medications. Lentinus polychrous is one underutilized mushroom species collected from the laterites of West Bengal, India. Our study aims toward its taxonomic validation, deciphering the secondary metabolic fingerprint, and testing its efficiency in countering many clinical issues, including oxidative stress, growing microbial drug resistance, and cancer. In vitro investigations have shown that the methanolic extract of the mushroom has a broad spectrum of antioxidant activities with effective concentration (EC50) ranging from 403.6 ± 3.8 to 841.2 ± 10.7 µg/mL depending on the type of free radicals and is effective in combating human pathogenic bacterial strains where MIC50 varies from as low as 302.2 ± 3.8 to 570.6 ± 1.8 µg/mL, mediated likely through inducing the breakdown of the outer coat and inducing increased porosity. The fraction was also shown to possess anticancer properties against A549 cells (LD50 120.9 ± 1.83 µg/mL) by triggering apoptosis. The modulation of Bcl-2 family gene expression was found to be the primary factor responsible for the induction of apoptosis in A549 cells during the experimental approaches. The findings revealed that the mushroom exhibits significant antioxidant, antibacterial, and particular cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cells, indicating its potential medical importance. These results provide essential insights into possibilities for the development of new therapeutic medicines derived from this mushroom.

The Emerging Role of Oyster Mushrooms as a Functional Food for Complementary Cancer Therapy

The importance of functional food's role in human nutrition as well as in the prevention of diseases, especially the treatment of chronic diseases like cancer, is an innovative field of research. Based on the studies regarding the antioxidant potential of oyster mushroom extract, it is evident that it has anticancer properties. The current article reviews the health benefits of edible oyster-mushroom-derived bioactive compounds, and how they specifically activate or regulate the immune system by affecting the maturation, differentiation, and proliferation of immune cells, thereby inhibiting cancer cell metastasis and growth. Mushrooms show anticancer potential by regulating a single molecule of a specific signaling pathway or by having multiple targets in the same or different signaling pathways. In addition, the prebiotic effects of mushrooms could enhance quality of life during and after cancer therapy by recovering the intestinal microbiota. More clinical research on oyster mushrooms needs to be conducted, and future studies should investigate the preventive aspects, which aid in reducing the rate of cancer occurrence, and the positive impact in cancer patients to prove that oyster mushrooms are preventive as a functional food as well as a curing dietary supplement for cancer patients.

Mushrooms and Colorectal Cancer: Unveiling Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Innovations

Nature has bestowed us with an abundant reservoir of resources that besides having nutritional value, are prolific mines of bioactive constituents with a plethora of medicinal activities. Mushrooms have been used since centuries in traditional system of medicine for their purported health benefits including anticancer activities. Thorough research, spanning over centuries in Japan, China, Korea, and the USA, has established the unique properties of mushrooms and their extractives in the prevention and treatment of various types cancer. The aim of the review article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature highlighting the potential relationship between mushrooms and colorectal cancer. Different databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were searched and a total of 62 articles and two book chapters were reviewed, and data were extracted. Multiple studies have demonstrated that mushrooms exhibit anticancer activities, effectively reducing adverse side effects such as nausea, myelosuppression, anemia, and sleeplessness. Furthermore, they have been shown to mitigate drug resistance following chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Certain species such as Antrodia, Pleurotus, Ganoderma, Lentinula, Hericium, Cantharellus, Clitocybe, Coprinopsis, Trametes, Sparassis, Lactarius, and so on manifest anticancer activity in colon. The article can help improve the scientific understanding of the co-relationship between mushrooms and colorectal cancer. This may help in advancing the research directions and integrating the mushroom-based strategies into current treatment protocols of colorectal cancer.

An in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxic potential of medicinal mushrooms against human breast cancer cell lines

Medicinal mushroom extracts, i.e. their dried biomass, have long been known as sources of bioactive compounds with positive effects on the human health. The antioxidant, antigenotoxic, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties of the commercially available extracts Agaricus blazei auct. non Murrill (AB), Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. (CS), and Immune Assist (IA) have already been documented. This study, studied the influence of these three mushrooms on the viability of cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and HS-5. The cytotoxicity of AB, CS, and IA at different concentrations (25, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 μg/mL) was evaluated using the MTT assay. The results showed that AB was the most effective and induced cytotoxicity in both cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 96.7 μg/mL for MCF-7 and 368.4 μg/mL for MDA-MB-231. After treatment with CS and IA, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration was reached only in MDA- MB-231 cells (IC50=613 μg/mL for CS and 343.3 μg/mL for IA). We have shown here that AB, CS and IA can suppress the growth of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, while affecting the survival of healthy HS-5 cells to a much lesser extent. Our in vitro results suggested that AB, CS and IA are promising natural sources with potential anticancer activity.

In silico evaluation of potential breast cancer receptor antagonists from GC-MS and HPLC identified compounds in Pleurotus ostreatus extracts

Introduction: Pharmacotherapeutic targets for breast cancer include the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Inhibitors of these receptors could be interesting therapeutic candidates for the treatment and management of breast cancer (BC). Aim: This study used GC-MS and HPLC to identify bioactive compounds in Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) extracts and applied in silico methods to identify potent EGFR, ER, and PR inhibitors from the compounds as potential drug candidates. Method: GC-MS and HPLC were used to identify bioactive chemicals in P. ostreatus extracts of aqueous (PO-A), methanol (PO-M), ethanol (PO-E), chloroform (PO-C), and n-hexane (PO-H). The ER, PR, and EGFR model optimization and molecular docking of compounds/control inhibitors in the binding pocket were simulated using AutoDock Vina in PyRx. The drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic features of prospective docking leads were all anticipated. Result: The results indicated the existence of 29 compounds in PO-A, 36 compounds in PO-M and PO-E, 42 compounds in PO-C, and 22 compounds in PO-H extracts. With ER, only o-tolylamino-acetic acid (4-nitro-benzylidene)-hydrazide (-7.5 kcal mol-1) from the ethanolic extract could bind to the receptor. PR and EGFR, on the other hand, identified several compounds with higher binding affinities than the control. Ergotaman-3',6',18-trione (-8.1 kcal mol-1), 5,10-diethoxy-2,3,7,8-tetrahydro-1H,6H-dipyrrolo[1,2-a:1',2'-d]pyrazine (-7.8 kcal mol-1) from the aqueous extract; o-tolylamino-acetic acid (4-nitro-benzylidene)-hydrazide (-8.4 kcal mol-1) from the ethanolic extract had better binding affinity compared to progesterone (-7.7 kcal mol-1). Likewise, ergotaman-3',6',18-trione (-9.7 kcal mol-1) from the aqueous extract and phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethyl ethyl) (-8.2 kcal mol-1) from the chloroform extract had better binding affinities compared to the control, gefitinib (-7.9 kcal mol-1) with regards to EGFR. None of the PO-H or PO-M extracts outperformed the control for any of the proteins. Phenols and flavonoids such as quercetin, luteolin, rutin, chrysin, apigenin, ellagic acid, and naringenin had better binding affinity to PR and EGFR compared to their control. Conclusion: The identified compounds in the class of phenols and flavonoids were better lead molecules due to their ability to strongly bind to the proteins' receptors. These compounds showed promising drug-like properties; they could be safe and new leads for creating anticancer medicines.

A Phyto-mycotherapeutic Supplement, Namely Ganostile, as Effective Adjuvant in Brain Cancer Management: An In Vitro Study Using U251 Human Glioblastoma Cell Line

The current standard oncotherapy for glioblastoma is limited by several adverse side effects, leading to a short-term patient survival rate paralleled by a worsening quality of life (QoL). Recently, Complementary and Integrative Medicine's (CIM) innovative approaches have shown positive impacts in terms of better response to treatment, side effect reduction, and QoL improvement. In particular, promising potential in cancer therapy has been found in compounds coming from phyto- and mycotherapy. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the beneficial effects of a new phyto-mycotherapy supplement, named Ganostile, in the human glioblastoma cell line U251, in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, i.e., Cisplatin and a new platinum-based prodrug. Choosing a supplement dosage that mimicked oral supplementation in humans (about 1 g/day), through in vitro assays, microscopy, and cytometric analysis, it has emerged that the cells, after 48hr continuous exposure to Ganostile in combination with the chemical compounds, showed a higher mortality and a lower proliferation rate than the samples subjected to the different treatments administered individually. In conclusion, our data support the use of Ganostile in integrative oncology protocols as a promising adjuvant able to amplify conventional and new drug effects and also reducing resistance mechanisms often observed in brain tumors.

Bioactivity Profiling of Daedaleopsis confragosa (Bolton) J. Schröt. 1888: Implications for Its Possible Application in Enhancing Women's Reproductive Health

This study investigates the bioactivity profile of wood-rotting fungal species Daedaleopsis confragosa (Bolton) J. Schröt. 1888, focusing on its antioxidant, cytotoxic, and genotoxic activities and enzyme modulation properties with respect to its possible application in terms of enhancing women's reproductive health. Two types of extracts, including those based on EtOH extraction (DC) and hydrodistillation (DCHD), were investigated. The results indicate that the radical scavenging capacity against the DPPH radical and reduction potential were stronger in the DC extracts owing to the higher total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) (25.30 ± 1.05 mg GAE/g d.w. and 2.84 ± 0.85 mg QE/g d.w., respectively). The same trend was observed in the protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) activity and in the genotoxic activity against the δ virus since only the DC extract exhibited DNA disintegration regarding a dilution of 1:100. Conversely, the DCHD extract exhibited increased hemolytic and cytotoxic effects (339.39% and IC50 = 27.76 ± 0.89 μg/mL-72 h incubation, respectively), along with greater inhibition of the AChE enzyme (IC50 = 3.11 ± 0.45 mg/mL) and hemolytic activity. These results suggest that terpenoids and steroids may be responsible for the observed activity in DCHD as these compounds could potentially be extracted following the HD procedure. This comprehensive bioactivity profiling offers valuable insights into the potential therapeutic applications of D. confragosa from Serbia and underscores the importance of further investigations for harnessing its pharmacological potential.

Evaluation of Prebiotic Potential of Crude Polysaccharides Extracted from Wild Lentinus polychrous and Lentinus squarrosulus and Their Application for a Formulation of a Novel Lyophilized Synbiotic

Edible mushrooms, including wild mushrooms, are currently being investigated as natural sources to evaluate their prebiotic potential. This study aimed to evaluate the prebiotic potential of crude polysaccharides (CPSs) extracted from wild Lentinus squarrosulus UBU_LS1 and Lentinus polychrous UBU_LP2 and their application as cryoprotectants in the freeze-drying process to formulate a novel synbiotic product. Based on fruiting body morphology and molecular identification, two wild edible mushrooms named UBU_LS1 and UBU_LP2 were identified as Lentinus squarrosulus and Lentinus polychrous, respectively. L. squarrosulus UBU_LS1 and L. polychrous UBU_LP2 contained high amounts of CPS after hot water extraction. Monosaccharide component analysis showed that CPS_UBU_LS1 and CPS_UBU_LP2 were typical heteropolysaccharides. CPS_UBU_LS1 and CPS_UBU_LP2 showed hydrolysis tolerance to the simulated human gastric acidic pH solution, indicating that these CPSs are capable of reaching the lower gastrointestinal tract. Antioxidant activity determined using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay revealed that the CPS_UBU_LS1 and CPS_UBU_LP2 displayed greater antioxidant activity comparable with that of ascorbic acid. It was found that CPS_UBU_LS1 and CPS_UBU_LP2 have a high potential for stimulating growth in all probiotic strains. Moreover, both CPS compounds could possibly be used as cryoprotectants in freeze drying, since the viability of the selected probiotic L. fermentum 47-7 exhibited cell survival of greater than 70% after 90 days of storage at 4 °C. These results highlight that wild edible mushrooms L. squarrosulus UBU_LS1 and L. polychrous UBU_LP2 are potential natural sources of prebiotics and can be applied as cryoprotectants in the freeze-drying process. The crude polysaccharide derived from this study could also be considered as a potent antioxidative compound. Therefore, our study provides evidence to support the application of CPSs from wild edible mushrooms in synbiotic product development and in various functional foods. Finally, further evaluation of these prebiotics, including the determination of the potential rehabilitation of beneficial gut microbes in diseased individuals, is currently being conducted by our research group.

A review for cancer treatment with mushroom metabolites through targeting mitochondrial signaling pathway: In vitro and in vivo evaluations, clinical studies and future prospects for mycomedicine

Resistance to apoptosis stands as a roadblock to the successful pharmacological execution of anticancer drug effect. A comprehensive insight into apoptotic signaling pathways and an understanding of the mechanisms of apoptosis resistance are crucial to unveil new drug targets. At this juncture, researchers are heading towards natural sources in particular, mushroom as their potential drugs leads to being the reliable source of potent bioactive compounds. Given the continuous increase in cancer cases, the potent anticancer efficacy of mushrooms has inevitably become a fascinating object to researchers due to their higher safety margin and multitarget. This review aimed to collect and summarize all the available scientific data on mushrooms from their extracts to bioactive molecules in order to suggest their anticancer attributes via a mitochondrion -mediated intrinsic signaling mechanism. Compiled data revealed that bioactive components of mushrooms including polysaccharides, sterols and terpenoids as well as extracts prepared using 15 different solvents from 53 species could be effective in the supportive treatment of 20 various cancers. The underlying therapeutic mechanisms of the studied mushrooms are explored in this review through diverse and complementary investigations: in vitro assays, pre-clinical studies and clinical randomized controlled trials. The processes mainly involved were ROS production, mitochondrial membrane dysfunction, and action of caspase 3, caspase 9, XIAP, cIAP, p53, Bax, and Bcl-2. In summary, the study provides facts pertaining to the potential beneficial effect of mushroom extracts and their active compounds against various types of cancer and is shedding light on the underlying targeted signaling pathways.