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The apoptosis effect of hispolon from Phellinus linteus (Berkeley & Curtis) Teng on human epidermoid KB cells.

Chen W, He FY, Li YQ

Zhejiang University, College of Life Science, Hangzhou 310027, PR China.

Phellinus linteus (Berkeley & Curtis) Teng, a well-known fungus of the genus Phellinus in the family of Hymenochaetaceae, is being increasingly used to treat a wide variety of disease processes such as oral ulcer, gastroenteric disorder, inflammation, lymphatic disease, and various cancers. However, the mechanism underlying its anti-oral cancer effect is poorly understood. In the present study, we prepared the ethanol extract of Phellinus linteus as a crude drug, and then obtained the active component hispolon by bioassay-guided isolation. Hispolon showed a dose-dependent inhibition of human epidermoid KB cell proliferation with IC50 of 4.62+/-0.16 microg/ml. Furthermore, it was revealed that hispolon could induce human epidermoid KB cell apoptosis with the characteristic of a DNA ladder, and with a significant increase of sub-G1. This process was accompanied by the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, the release of cytochrome c and the activation of Caspase-3. These results demonstrated that hispolon induced the death of KB cells through a mitochondria mediated apoptotic pathway. We propose that Phellinus linteus and its effective components could be used as an anti-oral cancer drug for future studies.

Published 29 March 2006 in J Ethnopharmacol, 105(1): 280-5.
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