Antitumor effect of culinary-medicinal oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm., derived protein fraction on tumor-bearing mice models

Int J Med Mushrooms. 2011;13(5):427-40. doi: 10.1615/intjmedmushr.v13.i5.20.

Abstract

Previously, we reported the in vitro anticancer and immunomodulatory effect of a protein fraction designated as Cibacron blue affinity purified protein (CBAEP) obtained from the culinary-medicinal oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus. In the present study, we investigated the in vivo antitumor potential of CBAEP in different tumor-bearing mice models and studied the detailed mechanism of tumor regression in Dalton lymphoma (DL)-bearing mice. The lethal dose (LD50) of CBAEP was found to be 55 mg/kg body weight and sublethal doses (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg body weight) showed a prolonged tumor survival time in DL, Sarcoma-180, and B16F0 melanoma tumor-bearing mice. Further, CBAEP reduced about 35.68 and 51.43% DL cell growth in 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The in vivo CBAEP treatment showed an apoptotic feature as demonstrated in morphological study and sub-G0/G1 population in cell cycle and Western blot of DL cells. CBAEP also activated immunosuppression condition in DL tumor-bearing host. It also stimulated immune cells in the presence of nonspecific immunostunulator (LPS and ConA) ex vivo as well as enhanced Th1 response with production of TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2. Moreover, it activated tumor-associated macrophages and NK cells. The present findings revealed the potent antitumor property of CBAEP, which might help in developing a new anticancer drug.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Fungal Proteins / therapeutic use*
  • Lymphoma / drug therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Pleurotus / chemistry*
  • Sarcoma 180 / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Fungal Proteins