Effect of Sparassis crispa Extracts on Immune Cell Activation and Tumor Growth Inhibition

Sparassis crispa is an edible mushroom with medicinal properties that contains more than 40% -glucan. The role of S. crispa in regulating the functional activation of macrophages has yet to be fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the immune-stimulatory function of S. crispa soluble -glucan and extracts on macrophages. In this study, we showed that S. crispa soluble -glucan was able to stimulate TNF- and IL- production through NF- activation in Raw 264.7 cells. We also showed that S. crispa extracts could not only enhance TNF- production in Raw 264.7 cells, but also suppress tumor growth in vivo. All of our results suggest that S. crispa could be developed as a promising immunostimulatory principle, applicable to cancer patients.