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Anticancer, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Low Molecular Weight Bioactive Subfractions Isolated from Cultures of Wood Degrading Fungus Cerrena unicolor

Summary

This research investigated beneficial compounds produced by the wood-degrading fungus Cerrena unicolor. Scientists isolated three different fractions of molecules from the fungus and tested them for anti-cancer, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The compounds showed promising results in killing cancer cells while not harming normal cells, neutralizing harmful free radicals, and fighting bacterial infections. This has important implications for everyday life: • Could lead to new natural anti-cancer drugs with fewer side effects • May provide new natural preservatives and antioxidants for foods and cosmetics • Offers potential new antibiotics to fight bacterial infections • Demonstrates value of fungi as sources of beneficial compounds • Shows how waste products from fungal cultures can be repurposed for medicine

Background

Medicinal mushrooms have long been used in Asian countries for their bioactive properties including anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antineurodegenerative, antidiabetic, antiangiogenic, and hypoglycemic effects. Of 650 known medicinal mushroom species, only about 20 are in common clinical use. Cerrena unicolor has been studied as an efficient producer of extracellular laccase and other bioactive compounds.

Objective

To investigate the anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of three low molecular weight subfractions (ex-LMSI, ex-LMSII, and ex-LMSIII) isolated from secondary metabolites produced by the wood degrading fungus Cerrena unicolor.

Results

Ex-LMSIII exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity towards breast carcinoma cells MDA-MB-231 (IC50 52.25 μg/mL), prostatic carcinoma cells PC3 (IC50 60.66 μg/mL), and breast cancer cells MCF7 (IC50 54.92 μg/mL). Ex-LMSIII showed the highest free radical scavenging activity (IC50 20.39 μg/mL) followed by ex-LMSI and ex-LMSII. The subfractions showed strong antibacterial activity, particularly against S. aureus, with ex-LMSII being most effective (MIC 6.25 mg/mL).

Conclusion

The three bioactive subfractions isolated from C. unicolor culture fluid demonstrated significant anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. The post-culture medium containing secondary metabolites under 10 kDa can be a rich source of natural bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical potential. C. unicolor shows promise as an effective source of therapeutic agents.
  • Published in:PLOS One,
  • Study Type:In Vitro Study,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197044
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