Aqueous Extract of Inonotus bliquus (Fr.) Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae) Significantly Inhibits the Growth of Sarcoma 180 by Inducing Apoptosis

Abstract

Inonotus obliquus (Fr.) Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae) has been widely used as a folk medicine to treat various cancers in Russia, Poland and most of Baltic countries for literally more than four centuries. However, in spite of its therapeutic significance for cancers, this fungus has not been studied systematically for the mechanisms of antitumor activity. In this study, we report the effects of aqueous extracts of I. obliquus (AEI) on inducing apoptosis of Sarcoma 180. AEI prepared from the sclerotium of I. obliquus was either administered to Sarcoma 180-bearing mice or supplemented into the culture of Sarcoma 180 cells. Oral administration of AEI significantly inhibited Sarcoma 180-induced reduction of splenic lymphocytes and proliferation potentials and elicited over-expression of bax gene in Sarcoma 180 cells, leading to the regression of Sarcoma 180 in mice. Supplementation of AEI into the culture of Sarcoma 180 cells resulted in a significant increase in the number of cells in G0-G1 phase and triggered remarkable increment in programmed death (apoptosis) of Sarcoma 180 cells. In addition, AEI showed stimulatory effect on TNF-α release by mice peritoneal macrophages. These results indicated that the antitumor activity of AEI was mediated by protecting splenic lymphocytes from tumor-induced apoptosis and by triggering apoptosis of tumor cells.

Potential anticancer properties of the water extract of Inontus obliquus by induction of apoptosis in melanoma B16-F10 cells

“…Therefore, mushrooms are very attractive as a potential source of new therapeutic agents. Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom), one of the well-known medicinal mushroom, has been used as remedies for gastric disorders and cancer and there are many reports published on anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities (Wasser and Weis, 1999;Hwang et al, 2003;Kim et al, 2006;Chen et al, 2007;Youn et al, 2008). In the present study, we showed that the Inonotus obliquus extract inhibits tumor cell growth of B16-F10 melanoma cells.…”

“…A recent study showed that a hot water extract of Inonotus obliquus mushroom suppressed cellular proliferation of human stomach cancer cells in a time-dependent manner (Hwang et al, 2003). Also, it has been reported that the aqueous extract of Inonotus obliquus significantly inhibited the growth of Sarcoma 180 cells (Chen et al, 2007) and HepG2 cells (Youn et al, 2008). However, though Inonotus obliquus mushrooms are increasingly being used to treat a various cancer, it is relatively little knowledge of their mechanism of action (Shashkina et al, 2006).…”

“…Traditional medicines derived from medicinal mushrooms are increasingly being used to treat a wide variety of clinical conditions, with relatively little knowledge of their modes of action. The mushroom Inonotus obliquus is a fungus that grows as parasitism on trunks of living brich in the colder northern climates (Kim et al, 2006;Chen et al, 2007). Inonotus obliquus (Fr.)…”

Orally administered aqueous extract of Inonotus obliquus ameliorates acute inflammation in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice

“…The estimated amount of phenolic and polysaccharide delivered per mice per administration were 5.7 and 20.4 mg, respectively, for IOAE-50 mg/kg, and 11.4 and 40.8 mg for IOAE-100 mg/kg, respectively. Previous studies have reported comparatively similar values for these constituents of Chaga (Chen et al, 2007;Hu et al, 2009). The biological activities of Chaga are mainly attributed to abundantly available polar molecules like polysaccharides (Cui et al, 2005;Zhang et al, 2007), polyphenols (Cui et al, 2005;Nakajima et al, 2007), peptides (Hyun et al, 2006), and b-glucan (Rhee et al, 2008).…”

Inonotus Obliquus Suppresses Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells and Tumor Growth in Mice Models by Downregulation of β-Catenin/NF-κB-Signaling Pathways

“…The biological activities oflnonotus obliquus are mainly attributed to the abundantly available molecules like polysaccharides, polyphenols, and peptides (9). Other studies have reported comparatively similar values for these constituents of lnonotus obliquus with growth inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing activity in Sarcoma 180 cells (28) and antioxidant and antiproliferative activities in DLD 1 cells (29). Although the total aqueous extract appears to be the limitation of this study, we assume that the effects of IOAE are largely ascribed to these compounds.…”