: Agaricus brasiliensis, one of edible mushroom belonging to Basidiomycota, has been used for curing gastric ulcer and stomach cancer of human beings and also known to have good inhibitory effects on sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich carcinoma of mice. Neutral saline soluble (0.9% NaCl), hot water soluble and methanol soluble substances (hereinafter referred to Fr. NaCl, Fr. HW and Fr. MeOH, respectively) were prepared from fruiting body of the mushroom. β-glucan and total protein contents were identify from fractions of edible mushrooms extract. The β-glucan and protein contents of all fractions of the mushrooms ranged from 21.54~32.31% and 0.16~9.34%, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity tests, crude polysaccharides were not cytotoxic against cancer cell lines such as Sarcoma 180, NIH3T3 and RAW 264.7 at the concentration of 10~2000 µg/ml. Intraperitoneal injection with crude polysaccharides exhibited life prolongation effect of 18.8~50.6% in mice previously inoculated with Sarcoma 180. Fr. HW increased the numbers of spleen cell by 1.2 fold at the concentration of 200 µg/ml compared with control. Fr. MeOH and Na improved the immuno-potentiating activity of B lymphocyte by increasing the alkaline phosphatase activity by 1.6 fold compared with control at the concentration of 50~500 µg/ml. Fr. Na generated 15.9 µM of nitric oxide (NO) when cultured with RAW 264.7 at the concentration of 200 µg/ml, while lipopolysaccharide, a positive control, produced 3.7 µM. The Fr. NaCl, Fr. HW and Fr. MeOH increased the secretion of TNF-α, IL-1β, Il-2 and IL-6 by 2.2 times compared with the control group. Fr. Na increased the numbers of peritoneal exudate cells by 4 folds at the concentration of 50 mg/kg compared with control. Circulating leukocytes increased by 2.7 folds when Fr. HW from A. brasiliensis was inoculated at the concentration of 50 mg/kg body weight. The hematological and blood chemical analysis of the 3 fractions did not show any difference in blood compositions and enzyme activities compared with the control group (p<0.05). Therefore, the experimental results suggested that crude polysaccharides extracted from A. brasiliensis contain antitumor and immuno-potentiating activities against Sarcoma 180 in ICR mice.
Bacterial strains isolated from diseased red pepper fruits showed inhibitory effect on mycelial growth and spore germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The bacterium was identified as Paenibacillus sp. based on its physiological, biochemical characteristics and MicroLog analysis and named Paenibacillus sp. IUB225-08. The bacterium showed the highest level of antifungal activity C. gloeosporioides when cultured at 25 o C for 60 hrs in LB broth with initial pH of 7.0. The butanol fraction from culture extract of Paenibacillus sp. IUB225-08 effectively inhibited the mycelial growth and spore germination of C. gloeosporioides than any other agricultural chemicals tested. Pepper fruits and seeds treated with spores of C. gloeosporioides showed symptoms, while those treated with the culture extract and C. gloeosporioides together did not show any symptoms. Therefore, the culture extract of Paenibacillus sp. IUB225-08 have a potential for biocontrol agent of red pepper anthracnose.
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