International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms

ISSN for PRINT: 1521-9437

For Online Access

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2000, Volume2

Issue 1

104 pages

Issue price - $128.00

Yoshiaki Fujimiya
Division of Biotechnology, Sumitomo Forestry Tsukuba Research Institute, 3-2, Midorigahara, Tsukuba; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Hachinohe University School of Human Health Sciences, Hachinohe, Aomori 031-8566, Japan

Hajimu Yamamoto
Department of Clinical Nutrition, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Kishioka-cho, Suzuka, Japan

Masahide Noji
Department of Clinical Nutrition, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Kishioka-cho, Suzuka, Japan

Ikukatsu Suzuki
Faculty of Health Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, 1001 Kishioka-cho Suzuka Mie 510-0293, Japan

Orally deliverable anticancer agents are becoming increasingly important in cost reduction of regimens for disorders that require protracted treatment and for patients' increasing preference and improved quality of life. The present study describes a simple procedure for the development of orally formulated anticancer agents of natural origin. The tumoricidal effects of natural products and purified extracts have previously been examined in single-grafted Meth-A tumor-bearing BALB/c mice by intratumoral injection of extracts from Agaricus blazei. Intratumoral administration of an ammonium oxalate-soluble/water- and ethanol-insoluble fraction 3, resulted in marked tumor regression, but continuous oral administration of feed containing fraction 3 from day 4 or 18 prior to tumor inoculation to day 21 after inoculation did not result in tumor regression. Intratumoral administration of fractions prepared by acid hydrolysis of either fraction 3 (ATF) or whole organisms (wATF) resulted in tumor regression almost identical to that seen using fraction 3. Oral administration of either soluble ATF or wATF also resulted in significant suppression of the progressive tumor, wATF being more active than ATF. ATF and wATF are composed predominantly of β-(1, 6)-glucans with apparent molecular masses of 10 kDa, with some unknown metabolite contamination (<20%). These results demonstrate that simple acid treatment of whole natural basidiomycetous products consisting mainly of β-(1, 6)-glucans can offer a valid approach to the development of anticancer agents that are orally effective, thus eliminating the need for multiple purification steps.

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