Antrodia cinnamomea found to protect against hepatic injury and inflammation

In this study, researchers from National Taiwan Normal University investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Antrodia cinnamomea, a medicinal mushroom in Taiwan, and the molecular mechanisms underlying its activity. The results of their study were published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.

• A. cinnamomea is widely used in Taiwan to prevent or treat liver disease.
• The researchers used water as extraction solvent to obtain water extracts from A. cinnamomea (ACW).
• They used HPLC fingerprint analysis and identified seven ergostane-type triterpenoids from ACW, including high amounts of antcin K (AC), antcin C, antcin H, dehydrosulphurenic acid, antcin B, antcin A, and dehydroeburicoic acid.
• They examined the effects of ACW and AC – which had the highest amount in ACW – on N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced liver inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis in rats.
• For the in vitro study, the researchers measured how ACW and AC dose-dependently scavenged O?.2, H2O2 and HOCl using a chemiluminescence analyzer.
• For the in vivo experiment, they found that oral intake of ACW and AC significantly inhibited DEN-enhanced hepatocellular inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinoma.
• ACW and AC also reduced the amounts of elevated bile and liver reactive oxygen species (ROS).
• In addition, ACW and AC inhibited plasma y-glutamyl transpeptidase and oxidative stress, including 3-nitrotyrosine, 4-hydroxynonenal, and Kuppfer cell infiltration (ED-1 stains) in the inflammatory livers.
• While DEN enhanced nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) translocation, ACW and AC suppressed DEN-enhanced NF-kB translocation by inhibiting its upstream signaling of p85/phosphoinositide-3-kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and CYP2E1 expression.

The researchers concluded that A. cinnamomea and its active component, antcin K, counteract DEN-induced hepatic injury and inflammation by scavenging ROS activity and upregulating antioxidant defense mechanisms.

Journal Reference:

Tien AJ, Chien CY, Chen YH, Lin LC, Chien CT. FRUITING BODIES OF ANTRODIA CINNAMOMEA AND ITS ACTIVE TRITERPENOID, ANTCIN K, AMELIORATES N-NITROSODIETHYLAMINE-INDUCED HEPATIC INFLAMMATION, FIBROSIS AND CARCINOGENESIS IN RATS. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2017;45(01):173–198. DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x17500124