Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and according to the WHO it accounted for approximately 7.6 million deaths in 2008 (WHO, 2011). The most prevalent forms of cancer present in the United States are breast and prostate cancer (American Cancer Society, 2011). Over the past decade anticancer drugs and cancer treatment have made inadequate progress. However today, there is a greater understanding of the molecular basis behind the formations of tumorigenesis. This knowledge combined with the molecular diversity of natural compounds such as those found in mushrooms have paved the way for the discovery of new drugs. These drugs have the ability to target the abnormal molecular and biochemical signals that lead up to cancer. Research has shown that oriental medicine for centuries has incorporated the use of medicinal mushrooms for clinical treatment. Over the past couple of years, scientific and medical studies in Japan, China, Korea, and more recently the United States have demonstrated the powerful and unique properties of mushroom-extracted compounds for the prevention and treatment of cancer (Zaidman et. al, 2005).
A recent study conducted in Australia showed that the fungus Coriolus versicolor, also known as English turkey tail possessed a rare compound which prevented prostate tumors from developing in animals. Coriolus versicolor was shown to secrete a natural chemical known as polysaccharopeptide or PSP (Ling & Bavas, 2011). Which is a complex sugar molecule attached to a chain of amino acids. The strength of this compound lies in its ability to enhance the helper T cells, which play a crucial role in strengthening the immune system. Turkey tail mushroom has been the focus of numerous controlled clinic...
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...o fungus for cancer treatment. The world today. [audio podcast]. Retrieved from
Ng, T. B.1998. A review of research on the protein-bound polysaccharide (polysaccharopeptide, psp) from the mushroom coriolus versicolor (basidiomycetes: polyporaceae) Gen. Pharmac., 30(1), 1-4.
Wan, J.P., Sit, W., & Louie, J.C. (2008), polysaccharopeptide enhances the anticancer activity of doxorubicin and etoposide onhuman breast cancer cells zr-75-30. International journal of oncology 32: 689-699.
Who(2011). Cancer fact sheet n°297. Retrieved from world health organization (who) website:
Zaidman, B., Yassin, M., Mahajna, J., Wasser, S.P., 2005. Medicinal mushroom modulators of molecular targets as cancer therapeutics. Appl microbiol biotechnol 67: 453–468.
This paper will cover a description of Hydnum repandum, its ecology, and some research involving the species.
Starch, cellulose, glycogen, and chitin are all examples of polysaccharides. According to the BIO 1510 Lab Manual (2016) polysaccharides are not very soluble in water but can be made to go into solution through heating or agitation. Polysaccharides are excellent energy storage molecules because they are easily built and broken down by enzymes. Forming fairly compact structures, polysaccharides allow energy storage without the space required by a pool of free glucose monomers. Other polysaccharides form strong fibers that provide protection and structural support in both plants and animals. (Carbohydrates.” Home,
Strategy to target cancer stem cells: The identification of CSC is essential for development of better and effective therapeutic strategies. The drugs used in the current therapies and treatments target not only the tumor cells, but also, the norm...
Chemotherapy is the treatment of a tumor with chemical agents to reduce mass or eradicate a tumor completely. There are certain mechanisms by which chemotherapy inhibits cancer. The first mechanism is cell death by cytotoxicity. Some chemical agents in certain amounts are toxic to cells. The cells die due to the toxic...
Li, Y., Wicha, M. S., Schwartz, S. J., & Sun, D. (2011, February 4). Implications of Cancer Stem Cell Theory for Cancer Chemoprevention by Natural Dietary Compounds. Retrieved December 12, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3248810/
Prostate cancer has been the number one diagnosed cancer today. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in every ten American men will develop prostate cancer during his lifespan. This cancer has been very common in the last few years. American Cancer Society reported over 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer. Huge number of population suffered severely. The prostate is significant for reproduction. It helps the substances that are involved in fertilization and transporting of sperm as well as survival. Prostate tumor is developed in the prostate gland, which is found in the men’s reproductive system. Prostate is the size of a walnut, which is located inferiorly in the penis and anterior to the rectum. It contains the connective tissue, which includes the glandular and fibrous tissues. This tumor starts to develop during their adolescent year due to the control of the male reproductive hormones. When the tumor starts to develop, it begins at the urethra, which is a tube that releases the urine from the bladder. The tumor is a slow development yet it is contagious to the other parts of the body, such as it does affect the pelvic bones, lungs, liver, and the lower vertebrae (Zenka, 2009).
Cancer in one way or another touches all of us, whether as a patient or through the diagnosis of the people you love around you. Millions of patients who are faced with cancer are depending on oncologists everywhere to cure cancer so others will not suffer like they had to. Optimistically, sooner rather than later this international problem will come to an end. There are a number of drug companies that have been coming out with cancer treatment drugs. “Oncology has been one of the hottest and most active therapeutic areas for drug development, drug makers may want to take note of a finding that new cancer drugs have proven far more difficult to gain approval than medicines for infectious and autoimmune diseases.” (nature.com) Unfortunately, these drugs cannot cure the cancer but it sure makes it a load easier o...
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide as it can develop in almost any organ or tissue. Significant advances in understanding the cellular basis of cancer and the underlying biological mechanisms of tumour has been vastly improved in the recent years (Jiang et al. 1994). Cancer is a genetic disease which requires series of mutation during cell division to develop, it has characteristics which can be associated with their ability to grow and divide abnormal cells uncontrollable while in the mean time invade and cause nearby blood vessels to serve its need. Even though many people are affected by cancer today, the abilities which cancer cells own make it hard to find single effective treatment for cancer. The focus of research now lies on developing drugs which target cancer cells in the hope to cure cancer once and for all.
All over this planet from the ocean floor to the forests and jungles some form of Fungi can be present. Though they can be found in many different forms such as mold yeast, the most commonly known is the Mushroom. Found in the wild on dead plant and animal matter, the mushroom is nothing more then the fruit of a fungus spore and can be a nutrisous food. There is a specific Genus of these Fungi that have a unique chemical inside of them. Psilocybin or its chemical name Dihydrogen Phospate is a naturally occuring compound with strong Psychoactive properties.
Imagining something that might have the same texture as a mushroom would have to be that of a giant booger. Visualizing someone sticking their finger up their nose and pulling out the biggest, chewiest, slimiest booger and putting it in their mouth would summarize the consistency of mushrooms. Another way it could be described is to say that it feels like a stale gummy bear, more specifically, a gummy bear that tastes like dirt. No matter how their cooked, sautéed, grilled, thrown into soup or even deep fried, the texture doesn’t change. Not all aspects of mushrooms are unscrupulous though, oh wait, yes they are. Like previously stated they are a lot like sponges; anyone could walk into their kitchen at this moment grab the sponge they use to wash dishes or wipe down their counters and take a gigantic bite out of it. That idea would be more tolerable to me than actually taking the time to eat a mushroom. I could go on all day and night about the texture of mushrooms and how dreadful it is but there is still more about them I can’t fathom
By taking a Carbon Dioxide, rich substance and mixing it with a yeast, solution fermentation will occur, and then it could be determined if it is a good energy-producer. In this study glacatose, sucrose, glycine, glucose, and water were used to indicate how fast fermentation occurred. The overall result shows that monosaccharides in particular galactose and glucose were the best energy source for a cell.
Oyster mushroom scientifically falls under the genus Pleurotus while Tembibir (Fig. 5) belongs to Auricularia genus and Rose Sabah (Fig. 6) belongs Volvariella genus. These mushrooms are classified as “Basidiomycota”.
Gingerols, which is the main active component in ginger and responsible for its distinctive taste can also help in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. In a research made for colorectal cancer, mice were injected cancer cells and only 4 tumors are found in those treated with gingerol c...
Several studies have found that components in green tea, particularly EGCG, have worked in a number of ways to cause “cell cycle arrest” – in other words, stopping the process of a cancer cell dividing. The interesting thing with green tea is that it often interrupts this process without affecting cell division among normal cells.
Reshetnikov S., Wasser S., Duckman I., & Tsukor K. (2000). Medicinal value of the genus Tremella Pers. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 2 (3): 345–67