18E-25 |
|
V. EDWARDS1, I. Goktepe1, B. Milford2, O. S. Isikhuemhen3, J. Yu1, and M. Ahmedna1. (1) Dept. of Human Environment and Family Sciences, North Carolina A&T State Univ., 161 Carver Hall, Greensboro, NC 27411, (2) Food Science and Nutrition Program, North Carolina A&T State Univ., Dept. of Human Environment and Family Sciences, 161 Carver Hall, Greensboro, NC 27411, (3) Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, North Carolina A&T State Univ., 207 Carver Hall, Greensboro, NC 27411 Alternative medicine is gaining popularity in the U.S. with many health conscious consumers turning to herbal plants for prevention and even treatment of certain illnesses, such as cancer. A number of mushroom polysaccarides have been reported to show anti-tumor activity. Tiger Milk Mushroom (TMM) is native to tropical parts of the world where it has been used as folk medicine to treat diseases. However, limited information is available on its anticarcinogenic properties. Our objective was to conduct baseline studies to determine TMM's ability to inhibit the proliferation and growth of breast cancer cells. The TMM extracts were prepared using water or alcohol. The extracts were evaporated to dryness and the resulting powder was redissolved in water. The extracts were prepared at concentrations of 0 to 100 mg/mL and administered into human breast (ATCC HTB-22) cancer cell cultures maintained in RPMI medium supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal serum. All cancer cells were left to grow in media containing various concentrations of mushroom extracts for 24, 48, and 72 h. The antipro-liferative activity of crude extracts from TMM on cancer cells was measured using MTT assay. Alcoholic extracts of TMM significantly reduced cell proliferation at concentrations 10 mg/mL and higher. The water TMM extract was les effective in slowing breast cancer cell growth at 24 h, but had inhibitory effects after 48 and 72 h at concentrations of 10 mg/mL and higher. The greater sensitivity of breast cancer cells to TMM extracts raises the possibility of TMM use as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of breast cancer, but more studies are needed to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of these extracts in animal models.
Session 18E, Nutraceutical & Functional Foods: General I
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |