inhibited proliferation of HepG2 hepatoma and MCF 7 breast cancer cells, with an
IC50 value of 0.88 and 0.52 lM, respectively. Both compounds isolated from
R. delica and R. lepida have been recently purified using ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration (Zhang et al. 2012). The ‘‘milk-caps’’ (genus Lactarius
spp.) are important medicinal mushrooms (Dai et al. 2009; Joshi et al. 2013). For
example the ‘‘fleecy milk-cap’’ (Lactarius vellereus) is a natural source of antimutagens with potential pharmacological application in cancer prevention. Methanol
extract of L. vellereus is highly protective against 2-amino-3-methylimidazo (4,5-f)
quinoline mutagen-induced DNA damage in human derived cells (Mlinaric et al.
2004). Fujimoto et al. (1993) showed that genaryl phenols named flavidulols A, B
and C, isolated from the Japanese edible mushroom Lactarius flavidulus showed an
immunosuppressive effect. Wu et al. (2013) isolated from this Japanese mushroom a
14.6-kDa RNase which suppressed proliferation of HepG2 and L1210 cells with an
IC50 of 3.19 and 6.52 lm, respectively. Previously, these authors (Wu et al. 2011)
have isolated a dimeric 29.8 kDa lectin, named LFL, from the same mushroom
species, which suppressed the proliferation of hepatoma (HepG2) and leukemic
(L1210) cells with an IC50 of 8.90 and 6.81 lM, respectively, in the case of the lectin
(Wu et al. 2011). Due to the fact that LFL exhibits potent antitumor activity in vitro,
the possibility that eventually this lectin might be developed into an agent useful for
cancer therapy is opened.
6.2.2 Antidiabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolism disease in which the amount of glucose
in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. If left untreated, it
leads to heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. It has been estimated
that in 2011, 366 million people have diabetes (Diabetes UK 2012). For these
reasons, it has been considered that diabetes is a major health risk in the world.
This disease can be defined as a metabolic disturbance of carbohydrate, fat, and
protein metabolism which leads to elevation of both fasting and postprandial blood
glucose levels, which is called hyperglycemia. A therapeutic approach for treating
it is through inhibition of the hydrolyzing enzymes like a-glucosidase and aamylase in the digestive tract (Zhang et al. 2013; Palanisamy et al. 2011; Chiasson
et al. 1998). Due to the high cost, and numerous side effects, of drugs used to treat
diabetes, there is an increasing interest in the search of bioactive compounds
having this inhibitory effect from natural sources including edible mushrooms (De
Silva et al. 2012a, b). Liu et al. (2012a, b) studied the antihyperglycemic properties
of some edible EEMs by evaluating the a-glucosidase inhibitory and a-amylase
inhibitory activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of some EEMs. The aqueous
extract of the common chinese medicinal mushroom, Catathelasma ventricosum,
revealed the highest a-glucosidase inhibitory activity (EC50 value 2.74 lg/mL) of
all of the evaluated mushrooms, while the aqueous extract of the cosmopolitan
‘‘deceiver mushroom’’ (so-called because of their high morphological variability)
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J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes
IC50 value of 0.88 and 0.52 lM, respectively. Both compounds isolated from
R. delica and R. lepida have been recently purified using ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration (Zhang et al. 2012). The ‘‘milk-caps’’ (genus Lactarius
spp.) are important medicinal mushrooms (Dai et al. 2009; Joshi et al. 2013). For
example the ‘‘fleecy milk-cap’’ (Lactarius vellereus) is a natural source of antimutagens with potential pharmacological application in cancer prevention. Methanol
extract of L. vellereus is highly protective against 2-amino-3-methylimidazo (4,5-f)
quinoline mutagen-induced DNA damage in human derived cells (Mlinaric et al.
2004). Fujimoto et al. (1993) showed that genaryl phenols named flavidulols A, B
and C, isolated from the Japanese edible mushroom Lactarius flavidulus showed an
immunosuppressive effect. Wu et al. (2013) isolated from this Japanese mushroom a
14.6-kDa RNase which suppressed proliferation of HepG2 and L1210 cells with an
IC50 of 3.19 and 6.52 lm, respectively. Previously, these authors (Wu et al. 2011)
have isolated a dimeric 29.8 kDa lectin, named LFL, from the same mushroom
species, which suppressed the proliferation of hepatoma (HepG2) and leukemic
(L1210) cells with an IC50 of 8.90 and 6.81 lM, respectively, in the case of the lectin
(Wu et al. 2011). Due to the fact that LFL exhibits potent antitumor activity in vitro,
the possibility that eventually this lectin might be developed into an agent useful for
cancer therapy is opened.
6.2.2 Antidiabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolism disease in which the amount of glucose
in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. If left untreated, it
leads to heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. It has been estimated
that in 2011, 366 million people have diabetes (Diabetes UK 2012). For these
reasons, it has been considered that diabetes is a major health risk in the world.
This disease can be defined as a metabolic disturbance of carbohydrate, fat, and
protein metabolism which leads to elevation of both fasting and postprandial blood
glucose levels, which is called hyperglycemia. A therapeutic approach for treating
it is through inhibition of the hydrolyzing enzymes like a-glucosidase and aamylase in the digestive tract (Zhang et al. 2013; Palanisamy et al. 2011; Chiasson
et al. 1998). Due to the high cost, and numerous side effects, of drugs used to treat
diabetes, there is an increasing interest in the search of bioactive compounds
having this inhibitory effect from natural sources including edible mushrooms (De
Silva et al. 2012a, b). Liu et al. (2012a, b) studied the antihyperglycemic properties
of some edible EEMs by evaluating the a-glucosidase inhibitory and a-amylase
inhibitory activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of some EEMs. The aqueous
extract of the common chinese medicinal mushroom, Catathelasma ventricosum,
revealed the highest a-glucosidase inhibitory activity (EC50 value 2.74 lg/mL) of
all of the evaluated mushrooms, while the aqueous extract of the cosmopolitan
‘‘deceiver mushroom’’ (so-called because of their high morphological variability)
176
J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes