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Ganoderma lucidum methanolic extract as a potent phytoconstituent: characterization, in-vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity

Summary

Researchers tested a medicinal mushroom extract (Reishi/Ganoderma lucidum) to see if it could fight cancer and bacterial infections. The extract showed promising results, being particularly effective against blood cancer and breast cancer cells while being less toxic to normal healthy cells. It also killed bacteria better than some standard antibiotics, suggesting it could potentially be developed into a new type of medicine for treating cancer and infections.

Background

Ganoderma lucidum has been used in Chinese medicine for many years and possesses therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-boosting effects. The mushroom is enriched with biologically active compounds such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and flavonoids that have significant pharmacological potential.

Objective

This study aimed to characterize Ganoderma lucidum methanolic extract (GLME) and investigate its antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. The research evaluated GLME’s antibacterial effects against multiple bacterial strains and its anticancer properties against breast and blood cancer cell lines.

Results

GLME demonstrated IC50 values of 598 µg mL⁻¹ and 291 µg mL⁻¹ for MCF-7 and K-562 cancer cells respectively, with stronger activity against blood cancer cells. The extract showed superior antibacterial activity against E. coli (44 ± 0.09 mm inhibition zone) compared to streptomycin (30 ± 0.11 mm). Normal cells exhibited significantly lower toxicity with IC50 of 751 µg mL⁻¹ for Hek-293 cells.

Conclusion

GLME demonstrates potent anticancer activity against breast and blood cancer cells with selective toxicity toward cancer cells over normal cells, and superior antibacterial effects compared to conventional antibiotics. These findings suggest GLME may serve as a novel therapeutic agent for cancer treatment and bacterial infections, warranting further investigation of its mechanisms and safety profile.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:In-vitro Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 37833299, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44135-1
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