Ganoderma lucidum extract induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell

Although the pharmacology and clinical application of water extracts of Ganoderma lucidum have been extensively documented, little is known regarding its alcohol extract. In the present study, the anti-tumor effect of an alcohol extract of Ganoderma lucidum was investigated using MCF-7 cells. We found that the alcohol extract of Ganoderma lucidum inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which might be mediated through up-regulation of p21/Waf1 and down-regulation of cyclin D1. Furthermore, this compound can directly induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, which might be mediated through up-regulation of a pro-apoptotic Bax protein and not by the immune system. Our findings suggest that there are multiple mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor effects of Ganoderma lucidum. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss.