Anticancer Activity of the Bioactive Extract of the Morel Mushroom (Morchella elata, Ascomycetes) from Kashmir Himalaya (India) and Identification of Major Bioactive Compounds

Abstract

Morel mushrooms, <i>Morchella</i> species are highly nutritional, excellently edible and medicinal. Anticancer activity of <i>M. elata,</i> growing in forests of Kashmir Himalaya was studied. Ethyl acetate extract of fruiting bodies of <i>M. elata</i> (MEAE) was evaluated for cytotoxicity by MTT assay using Daltons lymphoma ascites (DLA), human colon cancer (HCT-116) and normal cell lines. Anti-carcinogenic and antiangiogenic activities of MEAE were tested using mouse models. Proapoptotic activity was detected by double staining of acridine orange-ethidium bromide assay. MEAE was partially purified by column chromatography and the bioactive compounds were identified by LC-MS analysis. The bioactive extract of<i> M. elata</i> showed significant cytotoxicic activity against DLA (<i>P</i> < 0.05), HCT-116 cell lines (<i>P</i> < 0.05) and did not possess appreciable adverse effect on the viability of normal cells. At a concentration of 100 μg/mL, 60% cell death was observed in HCT-116 cell line while 80% cell death was found in DLA cell line. The extract also possessed profound anticarcinogenic, antiangiogenic and proapoptotic activities. LC-MS analysis showed celastrol (RT 9.504, C<sub>29</sub>H<sub>38</sub>O<sub>4</sub>, MW 450.27), convallatoxin (RT 9.60, C<sub>29</sub>H<sub>42</sub>O<sub>10</sub>, MW 550.27), cucurbitacin A (RT 11.97, C<sub>32</sub>H<sub>46</sub>O<sub>9</sub>, MW 574.71) and madecassic acid (RT 14.35, C<sub>30</sub>H<sub>48</sub>O<sub>6</sub>, MW 504.70) as the major bioactive components. Current experimental studies indicated that bioactive extract of <i>M. elata</i> possessed significant anticancer activity. Being an excellently edible mushroom, the potential therapeutic use of <i>M. elata</i> and its bioactive extract in complementary therapy of cancer is envisaged.