[#2002-06] Effects of D-Fraction, a poly...

Effects of D-Fraction, a polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa on tumor growth involve activation of NK cells Kodama N, Komuta K, Sakai N, Nanba H. Department of Microbial Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University Natural killer (NK) cells are directly cytotoxic for tumor cells and play a primary role in regulating immune responses. We monitored levels of NK cell cytotoxic activity in cancer patients receiving D-Fraction extracted from maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa). Elevated levels of cytotoxic activity were maintained for one year. To elucidate the mechanisms...

[#2002-05] Maitake: Finkelstein, Michael...

Chemosensitization of carmustine with maitake β-glucan on androgen-independent prostatic cancer cells: involvement of glyoxalase I Finkelstein MP, Aynehchi S, Samadi AA, Drinis S, Choudhury MS, Tazaki H, Konno S. Department of Urology, New York Medical College OBJECTIVE: To improve the poor efficacy (< 10%) of chemotherapy for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, we investigated a possible cytotoxic effect of carmustine/β-glucan combination on prostatic cancer PC-3 cells, focusing on a glutathione-dependent detoxifying enzyme, glyoxalase I...

[#2002-04] Maitake: Inoue, Atsuyuki et a...

Effect of maitake (Grifola frondosa) D-fraction on the control of the T lymph node Th-1/Th-2 proportion Inoue A, Kodama N, Nanba H. Department of Microbial Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University We have already reported that the D-Fraction, a β-glucan extracted from the fruiting body of the maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa), activates cellular immunity and expresses anti-tumor effects. In this study we investigated the anti-tumor functions of D-Fraction in relation to its control of the balance between T lymphocyte subsets Th-1 and Th-2. D-Fraction decreased the...

[#2002-03] A polysaccharide, extract fro...

A polysaccharide, extract from Grifola frondosa, induces Th-1 dominant responses in carcinoma-bearing BALB/c mice Kodama N, Harada N, Nanba H. Department of Microbial Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University A polysaccharide, designated as the D-fraction, extracted from maitake (Grifola frondosa), was reported to have anti-tumor effects by activating macrophages and T cells in C3H/HeN mice in which a Th-1 dominant response was established. In this study using BALB/c mice in which a Th-2 response is genetically dominant, D-fraction reduced the expression of Th-2 cytokine...

[#2001-12] Cholesterol-lowering effects ...

Cholesterol-lowering effects of maitake (Grifola frondosa) fiber, shiitake (Lentinus edodes) fiber, and enokitake (Flammulina velutipes) fiber in rats Fukushima M, Ohashi T, Fujiwara Y, Sonoyama K, Nakano M. Department of Bioresource Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine The effects of mushroom fibers on serum cholesterol and hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor mRNA in rats were investigated. Rats were fed a cholesterol-free diet with 50 g/kg cellulose powder (CP), 50 g/kg maitake (Grifola frondosa) fiber (MAF), 50 g/kg shiitake...

[#2001-11] Maitake (Grifola frondosa) im...

Maitake (Grifola frondosa) improve glucose tolerance of experimental diabetic rats Horio H, Ohtsuru M. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Home Economics, Nishikyushu University We have previously reported that rats with diabetes induced by injecting streptozotocin into neonates showed remarkably lower blood glucose, urine volume, and glucosuria after administration of Maitake (Grifola frondosa). In the present study, we investigated the effects of Maitake on insulin concentration, organ weight, serum composition, and islets of Langerhans in...