Journal of Functional Foods (May 2024)
Exploring the anti-invasive effects of Ganoderma tsugae (Songshan Lingzhi) against metastatic melanoma: Insights from an in vivo study on oxidative stress modulation
Abstract
Ganoderma tsugae, a medicinal mushroom and one of Taiwan's significant commercially cultivated species, contains polysaccharides and triterpenoids reported to possess anticancer effects. This study investigated the G. tsugae water extract (GTWE) for its inhibitory mechanism against lung metastatic melanoma (LMM) and B16F10 cells. The antioxidant capacity and flow cytometry showed that GTWE reduced the production of cellular reactive oxygen species dose-dependently. MTT and wound healing assays further demonstrated that GTWE suppressed melanoma cell migration and viability. qRT-PCR and western blotting verified mechanisms of apoptosis, GTWE decreased the BCL2 expressions and upregulated Bax and cleaved caspase-9 protein. These findings suggest GTWE is a potential therapeutic agent in vitro and in vivo for treating melanoma cancer.