Chemotherapy is currently one of the most common therapeutic options for cancer patients despite the poor efficacy with considerable side effects. We then examined if D-fraction (DF), a bioactive mushroom extract, could potentiate (poor) anticancer effects of those drugs in vitro. Three urologic cancers, prostate, bladder, and kidney cancers, were tested with various chemotherapeutic drugs and their combinations with DF. Compared to individual drugs alone, combinations of drugs and DF have improved anticancer activity, resulting in the...
read more1. Introduction Uterine cervical cancer is still the second most common cancer in women worldwide, despite the existence of effective screening methods [1, 2]. However, the treatment causes strong side effects such as digestive symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea) and bone marrow suppression. Thus, drugs with fewer side effects and a superior effect in combination are desired. In humans, selenium (Se) is a trace element nutrient which functions as cofactor for reduction of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidases. Several...
read moreOxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been strongly suggested as the key factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Mushrooms have been implicated in having preventive effects against chronic diseases due especially to their antioxidant properties. In this study, in vitro inhibitory effect of Hericium erinaceus on LDL oxidation and the activity of the cholesterol biosynthetic key enzyme, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG Co-A) reductase, was evaluated using five liquid-liquid solvent fractions consisting of methanol...
read moreIntroduction Nerve growth factor (NGF) is considered as a very promising candidate in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease [1]. However, NGF is a protein that becomes inactive after oral administration. A breakthrough in treatment occurred with the discovery of a class of compounds derived from the Lion’s Mane mushroom (Yamabushitake, Hericium erinaceum), which stimulate the production of NGF [2,3]. Bioactive substances in H. erinaceum including hericenones, have the potential to repair neurological damage, improve brain function, and...
read moreImmediate Release ~ A New Gene Study Suggests Strong Clinical Implications ~ January 20, 2014- A research group of National Scientific and Technical Research Council in Argentina (CONICET) headed by Dr. Gabriela Balogh has announced that they have successfully identified genes that would be responsible for the tumor supression in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) by a mushroom extract called Maitake D-Fraction. The results include that D-Fraction may even revert the malignancy of cancer cells by...
read more1.Introduction Hericium erinaceum (HE; “Yamabushitake” in Japanese) is an edible mushroom that was named after the pom-poms worn by traditional warrior monks or the Yamabushi. HE has numerous multifunctional biological activities such as suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress, antioxidant activities, and stimulating nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis. Several compounds extracted from HE exhibit neuro-protective activity in the brain [1234]. Our group previously reported 3 cases of mild neurocognitive disorders resulting from...
read moreGanoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi) is known as a bitter mushroom with remarkable health benefits. The active constituents found in mushrooms include polysaccharides, dietary fibers, oligosaccharides, triterpenoids, peptides and proteins, alcohols and phenols, mineral elements (such as zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, and iron), vitamins, and amino acids. The bioactive components found in the G. lucidum mushroom have numerous health properties to treat diseased conditions such as hepatopathy, chronic hepatitis, nephritis, hypertension,...
read moreHericium erinaceus is a famous tonic in oriental medicine. The gastroprotective effects of aqueous extract of H. erinaceus against ethanol-induced ulcers in Sprague Dawley rats were investigated. The possible involvements of lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were also investigated. Acute toxicity study was performed.The effects of aqueous extract of H. erinaceus on the ulcer areas, ulcer inhibition, gastric wall mucus, gross and histological gastric lesions, antioxidant levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were...
read moreThe caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis), which was originally used in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine, is called either “yartsa gunbu” or “DongChongXiaCao (冬蟲夏草 Dōng Chóng Xià Cǎo)” (“winter wormsummer grass”), respectively. The extremely high price of DongChongXiaCao, approximately USD $20,000 to 40,000 per kg, has led to it being regarded as “soft gold” in China. The multi-fungi hypothesis has been proposed for DongChongXiaCao; however, Hirsutella sinensis is the...
read moreCordyceps sinensis (CS) is a well-known entamophagus fungus, naturally distributed in the Tibetan Plateau of Asia and Himalayas. Recently this synonym is transferred to Ophiocordyceps by both scientific and non-scientific communities. It is widely used as a tonic and medicinal food in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as it possess wonderful health benefits. To support its functional attributes, various investigations have been carried out to find out its adaptogenic, aphrodisiac, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, neuroprotective,...
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