Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Effects and Identification of Ophiocordyceps sinensis Bioactive Proteins Using Shotgun Proteomic Analysis

Abstract

Research background. Ophiocordyceps sinensis, a highly valued medicinal fungus is close to extinction due to overexploitation. Successful cultivation of O. sinensis fruiting body (OCS02®) shows the cultivar consists promising nutritional value and numerous bioactive compounds. Antioxidant and antiproliferative properties and biologically active proteins of the OCS02® are investigated for possible development into nutraceuticals. Experimental approach. The chemical compositions of the OCS02® cold water extract was determined, and the antioxidant activities were examined using ferric reducing, DPPH and O2- scavenging assays. MTT cytotoxic assay was performed to assess the antiproliferative activity of the extract. Bioactive proteins in the active fraction of the extract were identified using liquid chromatography (LC) and tandem-mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Results and conclusions. The OCS02® extract exhibited strong O2- scavenger ((18.40±1.12) mol TE/g extract) and potent cytotoxicity towards A549 cells (IC50=(58.17±6.79) µg/mL). High molecular mass polysaccharides, proteins and protein-polysaccharide complexes could have contributed to the antioxidant and cytotoxic selectivity of the OCS02®. LC-MS/MS analysis identified several potential cytotoxic proteases and an oxalate decarboxylase oxdC protein which may exhibit protection effects on kidneys. Novelty and scientific contributions. The findings reported the promising superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity, cytotoxic effect and presence of bio-pharmaceutical active proteins in of OCS02® extract, thus demonstrates the potential of OCS02® to be developed into functional food.

Comparative Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Heat-Assisted vs Cold Water Extractions of Six Medicinal Fungi against Breast and Lung Cancer Cells

“…1 ). The cold water extract of O. sinensis had higher mass fractions of proteins and phenolic compounds than both the supernatant and the precipitate of O. sinensis extracts obtained using heat-assisted extraction of ( Table 1 ), which is consistent with previous studies ( 30 ). This finding suggests that thermolabile compounds, including the proteins and phenolic compounds in the cold water extract of O. sinensis , may be the main contributors to the observed cytotoxicity against A549 cells.…”

“…It is important to note that the protein fraction of the O. sinensis cold water extract has been reported to exhibit greater cytotoxicity towards NL20 in vitro ( 30 ). In addition, the cold water extract of L. tigris was also reported to be cytotoxic to the NL20 cell line.…”

Effects of Drying Methods on Morphological Characteristics, Metabolite Content, and Antioxidant Capacity of Cordyceps sinensis

“…As antioxidant molecules react with radicals, the absorbance of the system decreases, with the rate of absorbance change serving as an indicator of antioxidant capacity [ 28 , 29 ]. The kits used in this study were purchased from Suzhou Keming Biotechnology Co. Ltd. (Shanghai, China), and the test methods followed the instructions provided with the kits and relevant references [ 30 , 31 , 32 ].…”

Uncovering anti-influenza mechanism of Ophiocordyceps sinensis using network pharmacology, molecular pharmacology, and metabolomics

“…O sinensis has multiple bioactivities, including those relating to antitumor, immune regulation, cardiovascular protection, treatment of diabetes, and anti-oxidation. [2][3][4][5][6][7] The cultured mycelium of O sinensis is regarded as a substitute for O sinensis and appears to have significant biological activity. Indeed, Wu et al found that sphingolipids isolated from the cultured mycelium of O sinensis demonstrated immunological activity by inhibiting the viability of mouse splenocytes, as well as that of splenocyte-derived B and T cells.…”