Aqueous Extracts ofCordyceps kyushuensisKob Induce Apoptosis to Exert Anticancer Activity

Abstract

Cancer has become the leading cause of mortality since 2010 in China. Despite the remarkable advances in cancer therapy, a low survival rate is still a burden to the society. The antineoplastic activity of aqueous extracts of Cordyceps kyushuensis Kob (AECK) was measured in this study. Results showed that AECK can significantly inhibit the proliferation and viability of U937 and K562 when treated with different concentrations of AECK, and the IC50 values of U937 and K562 were 31.23 μg/ml and 62.5 μg/ml, respectively. Hoechst 33258 staining showed that AECK could cause cell shrinkage, chromatin, condensation, and cytoplasmic blebbing, and DNA ladder experiment revealed the evident feature of DNA fragmentation which showed that AECK could induce cell apoptosis. Moreover, AECK gave rise to intrinsic apoptosis through increasing the amount of Ca2+ and downregulating the expression of Bcl-2. Meanwhile, the level of Fas death receptor was elevated which indicated that AECK could lead to exogenous apoptosis in U937. The expressions of oncogene c-Myc and c-Fos were suppressed which manifested that AECK could negatively regulate the growth, proliferation, and tumorigenesis of U937 cells. This research presented the primary antitumor activity of AECK which would contribute to the widely use of Cordyceps kyushuensis Kob as a functional food and medicine.

Morphology and Phylogeny Reveal Five Novel Species in the Genus Cordyceps (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) From Yunnan, China

“…Complexes of some cordycipitoid fungal species and their natural host, such as C. militaris Fr., C. chanhua Z. Z. Li, F. G. Luan, Hywel-Jones, C. R. Li and S. L. Zhang, and C. kyusyuensis Kawam, have received significant attention in traditional medicine industry due to the detection of bioactive compounds with anti-aging, anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immuno-modulatory effects ( Castillo et al, 2018 ; Zhao et al, 2018 ; Lou et al, 2019 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ). Cordyceps tenuipes (Peck) Kepler, B. Shrestha and Spatafora has been applied in a variety of functional foods in Japan and South Korea, possessing nutritional, immune-regulatory, antitumor, analgesic, antibacterial, and anti-malaria effects ( Wang Y. et al, 2020 ).…”

The Underlying Mechanisms of Chinese Herbal Medicine-Induced Apoptotic Cell Death in Human Cancer

“…The group reported the upregulated amount of Ca 2+ and downregulated expression of Bcl-2, which indicated that AECK triggered intrinsic apoptosis. Meanwhile, AECK gave rise to extrinsic apoptosis via elevating the level of Fas death receptor in U937 cells [60].…”

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Determine the Mechanisms of Action of Shuangshen Granules in Suppressing Pancreatic Cancer Precursor Lesions

“…The patented Chinese prescription "Shuangshen granules" (SSG; Radix Notoginseng, Cordyceps and Radix Panacis quinquefolii, Patent Number: 201310091864.4) can be effectively used to prevent tumours and treat cancer, and represents a signi cant development in terms of theory, practice and innovation in the eld of cancer prevention and treatment. Studies have shown that Cordyceps extract can induce apoptosis, arrest the cell cycle in the S phase, and increase endoplasmic reticulum stress to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, thus has important 'anti-cancer' roles [17][18]. In addition, Cordycepin, a bioactive component of Cordyceps, can suppress the migration and invasion of human liver cancer cells by downregulating the expression of CXCR4 [19].…”