Evaluation of SulfatedLentinus Edodesα-(1→3)-D-Glucan as a Potential Antitumor Agent

Abstract

Alpha-glucan L-FV-II and beta-glucan L-FV-I were shown to co-exist in the extract of fruiting bodies of Lentinus edodes with aq. 5% NaOH/0.05% NaBH4 in previous work. Water-insoluble alpha-(1-->3)-D-glucan (L-FV-II) was treated with sulfur trioxide-pyridine complex at 25 degrees C to synthesize the water-soluble sulfated derivative SL-FV-II with a degree of substitution (DS) 1.1 in non-selective sulfation. The weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of sulfated glucan SL-FV-II is 57% of that of the original alpha-glucan L-FV-II. The alpha-glucan administered by gavaging at a dose of 50 mg/kg of body weight to BALB/C mice having implanted solid Sarcoma 180 was effective at an inhibition rate of 42%. In vitro experiments using human and murine tumor cell lines showed that SL-FV-II had antiproliferation activity at the concentration of 20 microg/mL towards four tumor cell lines. The sulfated alpha-(1-->3)-D-glucan had potent antiproliferation action (52%) on human MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells.

Characterization and Antineoplasic Effect of Extracts Obtained from Pleurotus sajor-caju Fruiting Bodies

“…These results are much lower than those obtained in the present study, in lower doses, on the same tumor. Pagno et al [15] tested intraperitoneally (5 mg/kg for 5 days) an extract obtained from Vernonia scorpioides with dichloromethane solvent, on the Ehrlich ascitic tumor. The authors observed no ascitic liquid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity, or the presence of neoplasic cells in this liquid, characterizing an antineoplasic action on this extract and providing the best results found in literature for Ehrlich ascitic tumor inhibition.…”

“…FI, FII, FIII-I, and FIII-II fraction solutions were elaborated separately, in a 1 g/L phosphate-buffered saline (PBS solution), as described by Zhang and Cheung [15].…”

Effects of α-glucans from Agaricus bisporus on ex vivo cytokine production by LPS and PHA-stimulated PBMCs; a placebo-controlled study in slightly hypercholesterolemic subjects

“…These polysaccharides are mainly b-glucans that are present in the cell walls. In addition, also a-glucans are present in the polysaccharide fraction of mushrooms (Zhang and Cheung, 2002). Whereas the effects of b-glucans have been studied extensively, little is known about the immune-modulating effect of mushroom a-glucans.…”

Orally administered mycelial culture of Phellinus linteus exhibits antitumor effects in hepatoma cell-bearing mice

“…␣-1,3-dGlucans have been isolated from some mushrooms (Shida et al, 1978;Zhang et al, 1999). Furthermore, an ␣-1,3-d-glucan from Lentinus edodes has been reported to possess weak anti-tumor activity, and sulfation of the glucan slightly increases its anti-tumor activity (Zhang and Cheung, 2002). The acidic polysaccharide from Phellinus linteus is an immunostimulator that demonstrates therapeutic activity against cancer, which suggests that it might act as an immunopotentiator and as a direct inhibitor of cancer cell adhesion (Han et al, 2006).…”