A laccase with antiproliferative and HIV-I reverse transcriptase inhibitory activities from the mycorrhizal fungus Agaricus placomyces

Mushrooms and Their Compounds with Potential Anticancer Activity: A Review

Mushrooms produce many metabolites that show biological activity, which can be obtained from their fruiting body, mycelium or recovered from the culture broth when mushrooms are grown in submerged fermentation. Mushrooms are a source of natural pharmaceuticals; they have been reported to have potential inhibitory or preventive activity against some diseases, including different types of cancer. Cancer represents one of the main causes of death worldwide. It is worth mentioning that despite advances in pharmacological treatments, they still present side effects in patients. In this sense, the study of the use of mushrooms in complementary treatments against cancer is of great interest. Based on studies carried out in vitro and, in some cases, using animal models, it has been observed that mushrooms present preventive, corrective, and therapeutic properties against different types of cancer, by stimulating the immune system, due to their antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as the regulation of the expression of some cellular processes, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis, etc. Based on the above, this manuscript shows a review of scientific studies that support the anticancer activity of some mushrooms and/or their bioactive compounds.

Recent advances of bioactive proteins/polypeptides in the treatment of breast cancer

Proteins do not only serve as nutrients to fulfill the demand for food, but also are used as a source of bioactive proteins/polypeptides for regulating physical functions and promoting physical health. Female breast cancer has the highest incidence in the world and is a serious threat to women's health. Bioactive proteins/polypeptides exert strong anti-tumor effects and exhibit inhibition of multiple breast cancer cells. This review discussed the suppressing effects of bioactive proteins/polypeptides on breast cancer in vitro and in vivo, and their mechanisms of migration and invasion inhibition, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle arrest. This may contribute to providing a basis for the development of bioactive proteins/polypeptides for the treatment of breast cancer.

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Natural Products with Inhibitory Activity against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

Infections caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are considered one of the main public health problems worldwide. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the current modality of treatment for HIV-1 infection. It comprises the combined use of several drugs and can decrease the viral load and increase the CD4+ T cell count in patients with HIV-1 infection, thereby proving to be an effective modality. This therapy significantly decreases the rate of morbidity and mortality owing to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and prolongs and improves the quality of life of infected patients. However, nonadherence to ART may increase viral resistance to antiretroviral drugs and transmission of drug-resistant strains of HIV. Therefore, it is necessary to continue research for compounds with anti-HIV-1 activity, exhibiting a potential for the development of an alternative or complementary therapy to ART with low cost and fewer side effects. Natural products and their derivatives represent an excellent option owing to their therapeutic potential against HIV. Currently, the derivatives of natural products available as anti-HIV-1 agents include zidovudine, an arabinonucleoside derivative of the Caribbean marine sponge (Tectitethya crypta), which inhibits the reverse transcriptase of the virus. This was the first antiviral agent approved for treatment of HIV infection. Additionally, bevirimat (isolated from Syzygium claviflorum) and calanolide A (isolated from Calophyllum sp.) are inhibitors of viral maturation and reverse transcription process, respectively. In the present review, we aimed to describe the wide repertoire of natural compounds exhibiting anti-HIV-1 activity that can be considered for designing new therapeutic strategies to curb the HIV pandemic.

Mushroom Nutrition as Preventative Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa

The defining characteristics of the traditional Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) cuisine have been the richness in indigenous foods and ingredients, herbs and spices, fermented foods and beverages, and healthy and whole ingredients used. It is crucial to safeguard the recognized benefits of mainstream traditional foods and ingredients, which gradually eroded in the last decades. Notwithstanding poverty, chronic hunger, malnutrition, and undernourishment in the region, traditional eating habits have been related to positive health outcomes and sustainability. The research prevailed dealing with food availability and access rather than the health, nutrition, and diet quality dimensions of food security based on what people consume per country and on the missing data related to nutrient composition of indigenous foods. As countries become more economically developed, they shift to “modern” occidental foods rich in saturated fats, salt, sugar, fizzy beverages, and sweeteners. As a result, there are increased incidences of previously unreported ailments due to an unbalanced diet. Protein-rich foods in dietary guidelines enhance only those of animal or plant sources, while rich protein sources such as mushrooms have been absent in these charts, even in developed countries. This article considers the valorization of traditional African foodstuffs and ingredients, enhancing the importance of establishing food-based dietary guidelines per country. The crux of this review highlights the potential of mushrooms, namely some underutilized in the SSA, which is the continent’s little exploited gold mine as one of the greatest untapped resources for feeding and providing income for Africa’s growing population, which could play a role in shielding Sub-Saharan Africans against the side effects of an unhealthy stylish diet.

Phytocatalytic and cytotoxic activity of the purified laccase from bled resin of Pistacia atlantica Desf

This study reports an efficient and fast procedure for the purification of laccase (PaL) obtained from the resin of Pistacia atlantica Desf. It was purified by one-step affinity chromatography and showed the specific activity of 393 U/mg with 81.9-fold purification. The molecular weight of PaL was estimated to be approximately 60 kDa using gel electrophoresis SDS-PAGE. Moreover, it depicted diphenolase activity and high affinity towards 2,6-dimethoxy phenol (K_m = 10.01 ± 0.5 mM) and syringaldazine (K_m = 6.57 ± 0.2 mM) comparing with plant-origin polyphenol oxidases reported in the literature. It should be noted that PaL possessed optimal activity at pH 7.5 and 45 °C. It also remained stable under different conditions of pH (6.5-8.0), temperature (25-45 °C), and when it was exposed to several metal ions. The MTT and flow cytometry assays demonstrated that the enzyme treatment significantly affected growth of HeLa, HepG2, and MDA-MB-231 cells with LC₅₀ values of 4.83 ± 0.02, 61 ± 0.31, and 26.83 ± 0.11 μM after 72 h, respectively. NOVELTY STATEMENT: This is the first attempt to isolate and characterize a new oxidoreductase from the resin of Pistacia atlantica Desf., native species of Iran, to recruit it in cytotoxicity researches. In the purification process by an efficient affinity column (SBA-NH₂-GA), the enzyme was eluted promptly with a satisfied yield. The purified laccase exerted higher affinity to diphenolic compounds and pH-thermal stability compared to other plant-derived polyphenol oxidases. The purified enzyme was found to show anti-oxidant capacity and significantly inhibited the growth of cancerous cells in vitro. PaL showed more cytotoxic activity towards HeLa and MDA-MB-231 cells by induction of apoptosis. The cytotoxic activity of the laccase was measured by flow cytometry.

Laccase aggregates via poly-lysine-supported immobilization onto PEGA resin, with efficient activity and high operational stability and can be used to degrade endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Laccase was for the first time immobilized as enzyme aggregates onto PEGA resin using the technique of poly-lysine-supported cross-linking. Immobilized laccase showed efficient enzymatic activity with high operational stability and good reusability.

Purification and properties of a laccase from the mushroom Agaricus sinodeliciosus

A homogeneous monomeric laccase (ASL) from Agaricus sinodeliciosus, with a molecular mass of 65 kDa, was isolated using ion-exchange chromatography (CM-cellulose and Q-Sepharose) and gel-filtration chromatography (Superdex 75). This laccase exhibited maximum activity at 50 °C and pH 5.0. Hg²⁺ and Cd²⁺ significantly inhibited its activity. The laccase displayed a K_m value of 0.9 mM toward 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS). In addition to ABTS, ASL exhibited higher affinity toward o-toluidine and benzidine than other substrates. ASL is able to decolorize malachite green and Eriochrome black T.

Mushroom extracts and compounds with suppressive action on breast cancer: evidence from studies using cultured cancer cells, tumor-bearing animals, and clinical trials

This article reviews mushrooms with anti-breast cancer activity. The mushrooms covered which are better known include the following: button mushroom Agaricus bisporus, Brazilian mushroom Agaricus blazei, Amauroderma rugosum, stout camphor fungus Antrodia camphorata, Jew's ear (black) fungus or black wood ear fungus Auricularia auricula-judae, reishi mushroom or Lingzhi Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma sinense, maitake mushroom or sheep's head mushroom Grifola frondosa, lion's mane mushroom or monkey head mushroom Hericium erinaceum, brown beech mushroom Hypsizigus marmoreus, sulfur polypore mushroom Laetiporus sulphureus, Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom), Phellinus linteus (Japanese "meshimakobu," Chinese "song gen," Korean "sanghwang," American "black hoof mushroom"), abalone mushroom Pleurotus abalonus, king oyster mushroom Pleurotus eryngii, oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, tuckahoe or Fu Ling Poria cocos, and split gill mushroom Schizophyllum commune. Antineoplastic effectiveness in human clinical trials and mechanism of anticancer action have been reported for Antrodia camphorata, Cordyceps sinensis, Coriolus versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Grifola frondosa, and Lentinula edodes.

Anti-proliferative applications of laccase immobilized on super-magnetic chitosan-functionalized halloysite nanotubes

Owing to the ubiquitous availability and simple biocatalysis, the anti-proliferative laccase holds enormous opportunities for anti-cancer applications. However, accessing efficient and specific (super-magnetically targetable) new delivery system for anti-proliferative laccase is vital step towards laccase based anti-cancer approach. Therefore, in this investigation, super-magnetized (Fe₃O₄) and chitosan (CS) functionalized halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) (termed as Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS) was facile synthesized. Further, laccase from Trametes versicolor was immobilized on Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS (termed as Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS-Lac). Then free laccase and Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS-Lac were evaluated for anti-proliferative properties against cancer cell lines of liver (HepG2), lung (H460), cervix (Hela) and stomach (AGS). Laccase and Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS-Lac gave significant cytotoxicity against all studied cancer cell lines. Moreover, the apoptosis analysis and FE-SEM morphology observations of cells support the anti-proliferative potential of laccase immobilized on Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS. Therefore, investigated Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS-Lac is natural and super-magnetic nano-biocatalyst, having the significant anti-proliferative potential and furthermore, Fe₃O₄-HNTs-CS can be used as efficient and specific delivery system for other anti-cancer enzymes.

Fungal proteinaceous compounds with multiple biological activities

Fungi comprise organisms like molds, yeasts and mushrooms. They have been used as food or medicine for a long time. A large number of fungal proteins or peptides with diverse biological activities are considered as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticancer agents. They encompass proteases, ribosome inactivating proteins, defensins, hemolysins, lectins, laccases, ribonucleases, immunomodulatory proteins, and polysaccharopeptides. The target of the present review is to update the status of the various bioactivities of these fungal proteins and peptides and discuss their therapeutic potential.

How to enjoy laccases

An analysis of the scientific literature published in the last 10 years reveals a constant growth of laccase applicative research in several industrial fields followed by the publication of a great number of patents. The Green Chemistry journal devoted the cover of its September 2014 issue to a laccase as greener alternative for chemical oxidation. This indicates that laccase "never-ending story" has found a new promising trend within the constant search for efficient (bio)catalysts able to meet the 12 green chemistry principles. A survey of ancient and cutting-edge uses of laccase in different industrial sectors is offered in this review with the aim both to underline their potential and to provide inspiration for new ones. Applications in textile and food fields have been deeply described, as well as examples concerning polymer synthesis and laccase-catalysed grafting. Recent applications in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry have also been reviewed.

A novel laccase with potent antiproliferative and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activities from mycelia of mushroom Coprinus comatus

A novel laccase was isolated and purified from fermentation mycelia of mushroom Coprinus comatus with an isolation procedure including three ion-exchange chromatography steps on DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose, and Q-Sepharose and one gel-filtration step by fast protein liquid chromatography on Superdex 75. The purified enzyme was a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 64 kDa. It possessed a unique N-terminal amino acid sequence of AIGPVADLKV, which has considerably high sequence similarity with that of other fungal laccases, but is different from that of C. comatus laccases reported. The enzyme manifested an optimal pH value of 2.0 and an optimal temperature of 60^°C using 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazolone-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) as the substrate. The laccase displayed, at pH 2.0 and 37^°C, K_m values of 1.59 mM towards ABTS. It potently suppressed proliferation of tumor cell lines HepG2 and MCF7, and inhibited human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) with an IC₅₀ value of 3.46 μM, 4.95 μM, and 5.85 μM, respectively, signifying that it is an antipathogenic protein.