Chemical characterization and biological activity of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), a medicinal “mushroom”

Jasmina Glamočlija,Ana Ćirić,Miloš Nikolić,Ângela Fernandes,Lillian Barros,Ricardo C Calhelha,Isabel C.F.R Ferreira,Marina Soković,Leo J.L.D Van Griensven

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.069

Jasmina Glamočlija, Ana Ćirić + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.069

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Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevanceIn Russian traditional medicine, an extract from the mushroom Inonotus obliquus (Fr.) Pil´at is used as an anti-tumor medicine and diuretic. It has been reported that Inonotus obliquus has therapeutic effects, such as anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory and hepatoprotective effects. This study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and biological properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Inonotus obliquus from Finland, Russia, and Thailand. Their antioxidative, antimicrobial, and antiquorum properties were tested as well as the cytotoxicity on various tumor cell lines. Materials and methodsThe tested extract was subjected to conventional chemical study to identified organic acids and phenolic compounds. Antioxidative activity was measured by several different assays. Antimicrobial potential of extracts was tested by microdilution method, and antiquorum sensing activity and antibiofilm formation of Inonotus obliquus extracts was tested on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was tested on tumor cells (MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa and HepG2) and non-tumor liver cells primary cultures. ResultsOxalic acid was found as the main organic acid, with the highest amount in the aqueous extract from Russia. Gallic, protocatechuic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were detected in all samples. Inonotus obliquus extracts showed high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Extracts were tested at subMIC for anti-quorum sensing (AQS) activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and all extracts showed definite AQS activity. The assays were done using twitching and swarming of bacterial cultures, and the amount of produced pyocyanin as QS parameters. All the extracts demonstrated cytotoxic effect on four tumor cell lines and not on primary porcine liver cells PLP2. ConclusionsAs the Inonotus obliquus presence in Chaga conks is limited, further purification is necessary to draw quantitative conclusions. The presence of AQS activity in medicinal mushrooms suggests a broader anti-infectious disease protection than only immunomodulatory effects.

Highlights

In the present study we searched for comparable bioactive effects in extracts prepared from the well known medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus (Pers.:Fr.) Pilat, commonly known as Chaga
Successive dilutions were made from the stock solution of aqueous and ethanolic extracts in water and ethanol, respectively and further submitted to different in vitro assays to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the samples (Reis et al 2012)
Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of I. obliquus from Russia, Finland and Thailand were dissolved in 5% DMSO solution containing 0.1% Tween 80 (v/v) (10 mg/mL) and immediately added in Tryptic Soy broth (TSB) medium (100 μL) with bacterial inoculum (1.0×104 CFU per well)

Summary

Introduction

In the present study we searched for comparable bioactive effects in extracts prepared from the well known medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus (Pers.:Fr.) Pilat, commonly known as Chaga. We report the chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-QS and antitumor activities of extracts of I. obliquus wild samples obtained from Russia, Finland and Thailand.

Results

Conclusion