Project description:In this study, the inhibitory effect of Ganoderma formosanum mycelium extracts on tyrosinase, the central regulatory enzyme being responsible for cutaneous pigmentation, was investigated in both cell-free and cellular enzymatic systems, as well as in phenotype-based zebrafish model. Bioassay-guided purification indicated that the ethyl acetate fraction of G. fromosanum mycelium ethanolic extract (GFE-EA) demonstrated the highest inhibition toward cell-free tyrosinase (IC50?=?118.26?±?13.34?ppm). The secreted and intracellular melanin of B16-F10 cells were reduced by GFE-EA through suppression of tyrosinase activity (IC50?=?102.27?±?9.49?ppm) and its protein expression. Moreover, GFE-EA decreased surface pigmentation level of zebrafish via down-regulation of tyrosinase activity. Most of all, there is no significant difference in morphology and mortality between control and GFE-EA treated groups. Not only does GFE-EA exhibit similar depigmenting efficacy to kojic acid with lower dosage (approximately one-seventh of dose), but show less toxicity to zebrafish. It is worth noting that GFE-EA is extracted from mycelium, which subverts the general concept that mycelium lacks certain bioactivities possessed by fruit bodies. Altogether, it would appear that GFE-EA has great potential for application in the cosmetics industry.
Project description:Androgen-independent prostate cancer accounts for mortality in the world. In this study, various extracts of a medical fungus dubbed Ganoderma formosanum were screened for inhibition of DU145 cells, an androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line. Results demonstrated that both hexane (GF-EH) and butanol (GF-EB) fraction of G. formosanum ethanol extract inhibited DU145 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. GF-EH induced cell-cycle arrest in G1 phase of DU145 cells via downregulation of cyclin E2 protein expression. In addition, GF-EB triggered extrinsic apoptosis of DU145 cells by activating caspase 3 gene expression resulting in programed cell death. Above all, both GF-EH and GF-EB show lower toxicity to normal human fibroblast cell line compared to DU145 cell, implying that they possess specific drug action on cancer cells. This study provides a molecular basis of G. formosanum extract as a potential ingredient for treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer.