It suggests that PC-PS is a biological response modifier (BRM), instead of a cytotoxic reagent, and may be a potential alternative in leukemia therapy.

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Anti-Inflammatory - The structure of a new triterpene derivative isolated from Poria cocos was determined to be 3β-p-hydroxybenzoyldehydrotumulosic acid by spectral and chemical methods.

This compound it contained anti inflammation properties.

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Pachymic acid, 3-O-acetyl-16 Α-hydroxytrametenolic acid, and poricoic acid B had been isolated from the sclerotium of Poria cocos Wolf. These compounds showed a strong inhibitory activity against 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced inflammation in mice. At 0.2 µmol/mouse, these compounds markedly inhibited the promoting effect of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (1 µg/mouse) on skin tumor formation following initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (50 µg/mouse).

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Apoptosis - Because of the reported immune-enhancing and anti-tumor activities of some mushroom polysaccharides, their applications as biological response modifiers have attracted significant attention.

We have purified a water-soluble β-glucan PCM3-II, comprising mainly 1↷3 and 1↷4 linkages, from the mycelia of Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (Fu-ling).

In this study, the growth-inhibitory effect of PCM3-II was further explored on the human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells in vitro.

Although the detailed mechanism for the anti-tumor activity of the P. cocos β-glucan still needs further investigation, this study provides preliminary insights into its mode of action and perspectives of its development as a water-soluble anti-tumor agent.

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Pachymic acid (PA) is a natural triterpenoid known to inhibit the phospholipase A2 (PLA₂) family of arachidonic acid (AA)-producing enzymes extracted from the Poria Cocos.

In this next study, we investigated the effect of PA on the growth of human prostate cancer cells. PA significantly reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent fashion, with androgen-insensitive DU145 prostate cancer cells showing greater growth inhibition relative to androgen-responsive LNCaP.

We speculate that PA influenced apoptosis by reducing prostaglandin synthesis and AKT activity.

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Anti-Tumor - The structures of six new lanostane-type triterpene acids isolated from the epidermis of the sclerotia of Poria cocos were established to be 15α-hydroxydehydrotumulosic acid (5), 16α,25-dihydroxydehydroeburicoic acid (9), 5α,8α-peroxydehydrotumulosic acid (10), 25-hydroxyporicoic acid H (11), 16-deoxyporicoic acid B (12), and poricoic acid CM (16) on the basis of spectroscopic methods.

Compound 12 and poricoic acid C (13) exhibited inhibitory effects on skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) as an initiator and TPA as a promoter.

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Mycelia of Poria cocos were obtained from a pilot-scale 50-L fermenter by submerged cultivation biotechnology. Six polysaccharide fractions were extracted sequentially from the P. cocos mycelia.

Interestingly, the three water-soluble polysaccharides (Pi-PCM0 to Pi-PCM2) all exhibited antitumor activities in vivo (Sarcoma 180 solid tumor implanted in BALB/c mice), and in vitro (HL-60 tumor cell).

(Article)