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Physicochemical Characteristics of Chitosan Extracted from Pleurotus ostreatus and Its Anticancer Activity Against the MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Summary

Researchers extracted a compound called chitosan from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) and tested its ability to fight breast cancer cells. The chitosan successfully killed cancer cells by triggering apoptosis, a natural cell death process, while showing promise as a safer alternative to conventional chemotherapy. The study demonstrates that mushroom-derived compounds could have significant therapeutic potential for cancer treatment with fewer side effects than traditional drugs.

Background

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and traditional chemotherapeutic drugs often have unselective cytotoxicity and drug resistance issues. Chitosan, derived from chitin, is a naturally occurring biopolymer with biodegradability and biocompatibility that has shown potential anticancer properties. Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms contain bioactive compounds and are a promising source for chitosan extraction.

Objective

This study aims to assess chitosan extracted from Pleurotus ostreatus as a potential anticancer agent against breast cancer cells. The research evaluates the physicochemical characteristics of the extracted chitosan and its effectiveness against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines using molecular and cellular assays.

Results

The extracted chitosan had a molecular weight of 1.6 × 10⁵ Da and 80% degree of deacetylation. Water-binding capacity was 526.6% and fat-binding capacity was 363%. SRB and FITC apoptosis assays demonstrated significant anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 cells, with considerable populations of cells in both early and late apoptotic phases. PCR analysis showed upregulation of Caspase-3 gene expression in chitosan-treated cells compared to controls.

Conclusion

Chitosan extracted from Pleurotus ostreatus demonstrates promising anticancer potential against breast cancer cells with low toxicity, supported by its nontoxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable properties. The compound effectively induces apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, suggesting potential as an alternative to conventional chemotherapy. Further in vivo studies are needed to validate these findings and develop chitosan as a therapeutic agent.
  • Published in:Polymers (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40363012, DOI: 10.3390/polym17091228
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