RT Journal Article ID 431d993642ab8b8e A1 Sari, Miriam A1 Hambitzer, Reinhard A1 Lelley, Jan I. A1 Toepler, Katharina A1 Teusch, Nicole A1 Nickisch-Hartfiel, Anna T1 Characterization of Cross-Flow Ultrafiltration Fractions from Maitake Medicinal Mushroom, Grifoia frondosa (Agaricomycetes), Reveals Distinct Cytotoxicity in Tumor Cells JF International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms JO IJM YR 2016 FD 2016-10-19 VO 18 IS 8 SP 671 OP 680 K1 medicinal mushrooms K1 A549 K1 β-glucans K1 breast cancer K1 cytotoxicity K1 extract K1 Grifola frondosa K1 MCF-7 K1 non-small-cell lung cancer K1 polysaccharides K1 tumor cell growth K1 ultrafiltration AB β-glucans from Basidiomycetes like Grifola frondosa (the maitake mushroom) are well known for their health benefits. Polysaccharide preparations from medicinal mushrooms such as G. frondosa have been successfully tested in a vast number of studies. Many mushroom extracts have been developed and today are merchandized for use medicinally and commercially. Studies could show that, in particular, chemical structural features such as the molecular size of β-glucans significantly influence their bioactivity. Thus it is highly important to explore the composition and structural properties of β-glucans extracted from medicinal mushrooms and their effects on human tumor cell viability. Our study focuses on the molecular weight cutoff distribution of β-glucans in hot water−based extracts from maitake mushrooms. Cross-flow ultrafiltration was applied to obtain 5 fractions of different molecular size. β-glucan content was quantified using an enzyme-based test kit, specialized to 1,3-1,6-β-glucans. Here we show that only small amounts of β-glucans with a high molecular weight (>100 kDa) could be detected from an aqueous extract of G. frondosa. The main compounds encompass substances with a low molecular weight (<5 kDa), composing about 35% of the whole extract. In addition, tumor cell viability studies demonstrate significant cytotoxic potential in 2 different solid cancer cell types for the fraction with a high molecular weight (>100 kDa) and for 1 fraction with a low molecular weight (5−10 kDa). In summary, our experiments prove that cross-flow ultrafiltration serves as a quick and easy method for dividing crude aqueous mushroom extracts into different molecular-weight fractions that inhibit tumor cell viability in vitro. PB Begell House LK https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/708ae68d64b17c52,34f197783d902eab,431d993642ab8b8e.html