Biotechnological production, characterization and in vitro antitumor activity of polysaccharides from a native strain of Lentinus crinitus Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • © 2020 Elsevier B.V.This work deals with the submerged cultivation, extraction and antitumor activity of polysaccharides from Lentinus crinitus. The fungus was isolated from a tropical forest (Antioquia, Colombia), cultivated in laboratory conditions, and classified by classical and molecular taxonomy. Then, it was cultivated in a bioreactor of 5 L using a ligninolytic residue as substrate. The fermentation conditions were 30 ± 1 °C, pH 4.5, 300 rpm and 1.5 vvm for 4 days. The yields of fermentation were 20 g/L of biomass. After extraction, 0.65 g/L of water-soluble exopolysaccharide (LEPS) and 3.3 mg/100 g of water-soluble intrapolysaccharide (LIPS) were obtained. In each extract total carbohydrate, glucans and protein contents were determined. Also, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), high performance liquid chromatography with refraction index detection (HPLC-RI) and high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC) analysis for characterization were performed. The antitumor activity was evaluated and polysaccharides not only showed anti-proliferative activity in breast cancer cells but also they activate J774 macrophages as evidenced by the increase of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-¿ (inducers of tumor cell apoptosis). Our findings suggest that polysaccharides can activate macrophages to release nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-¿), which directly blocks cancer cell growth. These findings enhance our knowledge about new sources of fungal metabolites that serve as coadjuvant, cheap and less harmful alternatives to cancer treatment.

publication date

  • December 1, 2020