Antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity of crude polysaccharides from Lentinus polychrous Lév.

Crude polysaccharides of mature fresh and dried fruit bodies and dried mycelia of Lentinus polychrous Lév. were evaluated for their antioxidant properties and cancer cell line cytotoxicity. The crude polysaccharides were in yields of 39.0–97.5 mg/g dry weight of sample. Trolox equivalent values in scavenging abilities of those crude polysaccharides against both 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS+) radical and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals were in the range of 53.4–131 and 6.4–38.8 μmol trolox/g dwt of extract, respectively, whereas values of reducing power were in the range 27.6–54.9 μmol trolox/g dwt of extract. Scavenging ability and reducing power of these crude polysaccharide extracts were in the descending order of mycelia > dried fruit bodies > fresh fruit bodies. In vitro cytotoxicity, determined with the crude polysaccharides of fresh and dried fruit bodies of the fungus at a concentration of 1 mg/ml, by the [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) method, showed cytotoxic effects of about 38% and 45%, respectively, against the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7). This mushroom might be a good source of bioactive compounds for cancer prevention.