Abstract

Naematolma sublateritium (Fr.) P. Karst (family: Strophariaceae) is known as a chestnut mushroom. Although N. sublateritium is currently a popular and edible fungus in the USA, Japan and Korea, its proximate composition and biological activities have been poorly studied. The present study was carried out to assess the antioxidant and anticancer potential of N. sublateritium and to identify the fractions that exhibit pharmaceutical activity among sequentially separated 5 fractions of N. sublateritium. N. sublateritium contained relatively higher amounts of protein (19.3%) than fat and ash. Ethyl acetate fraction of N. sublateritium(EFNS) showed more than 50% free radical scavenging activity and inhibition in lipid peroxidation at 200 μg/ml. In addition, exposure of human cancer cell lines to hexane fractions (HFNS) and a dichloromethane fraction of N. sublateritium resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation and viability. Particularly, HFNS treatment in MDA-MB-231 cells induced apoptotic cell death, causing a condensation of nuclei, poly Adenosine diphosphate (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax protein expressions at an IC50 value of 200 μg/ml. These findings clearly demonstrate that N. sublateritium has antioxidative activity and anticancer effects, causing apoptotic cell death. In particular, EFNS and HFNS can be putative antioxidant or anticancer substances, respectively.
 

Key words: Naematoloma sublateritium, antioxidant, anticancer, apoptotic cell death, hexane fraction of N. sublateritium (HFNS), dichloromethane fraction of N. sublateritium(DFNS), ethyl acetate fraction of N. sublateritium (EFNS), n-butanol fraction of N. sublateritium(BFNS).