Antitumor activity of aqueous extracts of edible mushrooms.

Abstract

Summary Aqueous extracts of seven species of edible mushrooms were tested for their antitumor activity against transplanted Sarcoma 180 in Swiss albino mice. All of the aqueous extracts except that of Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull. ex Fr.) Quel. highly inhibited the growth of transplanted tumors. The active antitumor component of Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Sing. was not adsorbed by the acetate form of a weakly basic ion-exchange resin. It was nondialyzable and precipitated with the addition of ethanol or acetone. The active antitumor material was suggested by chemical analysis to be a polysaccharide.