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In vitro antitumor effects of methanolic extracts of three Ganoderma mushrooms

Summary

Researchers tested extracts from three types of medicinal mushrooms (Ganoderma) against cancer cells in laboratory tests. They found that one species was particularly effective against liver cancer cells, while two other species worked well against breast cancer cells. The extracts killed cancer cells while being much less harmful to normal cells, suggesting they could potentially be developed into new cancer treatments.

Background

Ganoderma mushrooms have been used in traditional Asian medicine and possess various pharmacological activities. These fungi are rich sources of bioactive compounds including polysaccharides and triterpenes with reported antimicrobial, antimalarial, and potential anticancer properties.

Objective

To evaluate the in vitro antitumor activities of methanolic fruiting body extracts from three Ganoderma species against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and breast ductal carcinoma (T-47D) cell lines, while assessing effects on normal cell lines and investigating cell cycle parameters and modes of cellular death.

Results

G. resinaceum extract inhibited HepG2 viability at IC50 of 72.32 µg/mL while showing minimal toxicity to normal BNL cells (IC50 > 100 µg/mL). G. australe and G. mbrekobenum extracts inhibited T-47D cell viability at IC50 values of 221.95 and 236.45 µg/mL respectively. All three extracts arrested cell cycle at G1 phase, with G. resinaceum inducing apoptosis (19.99%) while the other two induced necrosis (31.10% and 18.28%).

Conclusion

G. resinaceum shows promise as a potential therapeutic agent against hepatocellular carcinoma, while G. australe and G. mbrekobenum demonstrate potential against breast ductal carcinoma. The differential targeting of tumor cells compared to normal cells suggests these extracts warrant further in vivo investigation for therapeutic development.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:In vitro Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 39824924, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-86162-0
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