Comparative analysis of medicinal attributes between Lignosus cameronensis and its sister species

Abstract

Lignosus cameronensis holds promise for exploration given its morphological likeness to the renowned Lignosus rhinocerus, or tiger milk mushroom. Investigating its potential medicinal and industrial applications addresses a significant knowledge gap in this field. A comparative analysis with other Lignosus species and cultivars provides insights into biopharmacological potential. L. cameronensis cold water extract (LC-CWE) displayed moderate antioxidant activity, demonstrating promising Trolox equivalent antioxidant ­capacity. Variable cytotoxicity was observed in different cell lines, with an IC₅₀ of 215 μg/ml against breast cancer cells (MCF-7) cells. LC-CWE exhibited anti-inflammatory potential with an ED₅₀ of 60 mg/kg in a λ-carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model. Comparison with other Lignosus species and cultivars emphasised LC-CWE’s distinct attributes, including high phenolic content and moderate antioxidant capacity. LC-CWE displayed potential in selectively inhibiting MCF-7 cells and reducing inflammation, highlighting its medicinal promise. This research expands our understanding of L. cameronensis and underscores the need for further mechanistic exploration.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Lignosus cameronensis
• antioxidative
• antiproliferative
• anti-inflammatory
• phenolic content

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) [Grant number FRGS/1/2022/STG02/UM/01/1] awarded to S.Y. Fung.