Potential anticancer properties of the water extract of Inonotus [corrected] obliquus by induction of apoptosis in melanoma B16-F10 cells.
BACKGROUND
Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom), one of the widely known medicinal mushrooms, has been used to treat various cancers in Russia and most of Baltic countries for many centuries.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the anti-proliferative effects of Inonotus obliquus extract on melanoma B16-F10 cells. Furthermore, to assess the anti-tumor effect of Inonotus obliquus extract in vivo in Balb/c mice.


METHODS
The water extract of Inonotus obliquus was studied for anti-proliferative effects on the growth and morphology of B16-F10 melanoma cells and for anti-tumor effect using in vivo in Balb/c mice.


RESULTS
Inonotus obliquus extract not only inhibited the growth of B16-F10 cells by causing cell cycle arrest at G(0)/G(1) phase and apoptosis, but also induced cell differentiation. These effects were associated with the down-regulation of pRb, p53 and p27 expression levels, and further showed that Inonotus obliquus extract resulted in a G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest with reduction of cyclin E/D1 and Cdk 2/4 expression levels. Furthermore, the anti-tumor effect of Inonotus obliquus extract was assessed in vivo in Balb/c mice. Intraperitoneal administration of Inonotus obliquus extract significantly inhibited the growth of tumor mass in B16-F10 cells implanted mice, resulting in a 3-fold (relative to the positive control, (*)p<0.05) inhibit at dose of 20mg/kg/day for 10 days.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that the water extract of Inonotus obliquus mushroom exhibited a potential anticancer activity against B16-F10 melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo through the inhibition of proliferation and induction of differentiation and apoptosis of cancer cells.
Youn
Myung-Ja
MJ
VestibuloCochlear Research Center and Department of Microbiology, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 570-749, South Korea.
Kim
Jin-Kyung
JK
Park
Seong-Yeol
SY
Kim
Yunha
Y
Park
Channy
C
Kim
Eun Sook
ES
Park
Kie-In
KI
So
Hong Seob
HS
Park
Raekil
R
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000737:chemistry*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016192:Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D012426:Russia
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents