Pro-Health and Anti-Cancer Activity of Fungal Fractions Isolated from Milk-Supplemented Cultures of Lentinus (Pleurotus) sajor-caju

Author: mycolabadmin
2021-07-23
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Summary

This research explored how growing an edible mushroom called Lentinus sajor-caju in milk can enhance its health-promoting and anti-cancer properties. The study found that this cultivation method produced extracts that could effectively kill colorectal cancer cells while being relatively safe for normal cells. This has important implications for both medicine and food science. Impacts on everyday life: • Provides a new way to create healthier functional foods using mushrooms and milk • Offers potential natural alternatives for cancer prevention and treatment • Demonstrates how common food items can be enhanced for better health benefits • Shows promise for developing new nutraceutical products • Could lead to more affordable cancer-fighting supplements

Background

Fungal material has been used by humans for centuries due to its gastronomic and pro-health properties. Mushrooms are considered a rich source of bioactive compounds and are easy and cheap to culture. They produce nutrients and medicinal substances in relatively large amounts per dry weight of fruiting body. Various proteins and peptides with health-promoting properties have been isolated from fungal material, including immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer proteins.

Objective

The study aimed to demonstrate Lentinus sajor-caju as a good source of pro-health substances and show that supplementation of its culture medium with cow milk may further improve its beneficial properties. The research focused on analyzing intracellular fractions from fungi grown on milk-supplemented medium and investigating their anti-cancer properties on colorectal cancer cell lines.

Results

Biochemical analysis showed enrichment in health-enhancing compounds like proteins and polysaccharides, with approximately 3.5-fold increase in protein concentration and 4.5-fold increase in carbohydrates in extracts of mycelia cultured on whole milk. There was a 10-fold decrease in free radicals in extract grown on milk and medium mixture, related to increased catalase and superoxide dismutase activity. The viability of cancer cells was reduced to 60.0% and 40.0% of control for HT-29 and SW948 cells respectively. Pro-apoptotic effects were observed with 18.8% and 14.7% apoptosis rates for LS 180 and SW948 cells.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that Lentinus sajor-caju has multiple nutritional and anti-cancer properties that can be enhanced through milk supplementation of the growth medium. The fungal extracts showed significant anti-cancer activity against colorectal cancer cells while having minimal effects on normal cells. This suggests potential applications in modern medicine and functional foods.

Published in:Biomolecules,
Study Type:Laboratory Study,
Source: 10.3390/biom11081089