Affiliations: Department of Medical Nutrition, Kyunghee University,
1 Hoekidong, Dongdaemoonku, Seoul 130-701, South Korea | Department of Food and Nutrition, Hannam University,
133 Ojeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon 306-791, Korea | School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National
University, Kwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea | Seson Biotech, Daejeon 305-710, Korea
Abstract: The Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is claimed to have beneficial
properties for human health, such as anti-bacterial, anti-allergic,
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The antioxidant effects of the
mushroom may be partly explained by protection of cell components against free
radicals. We evaluated the effect of aqueous Chaga mushroom extracts for their
potential for protecting against oxidative damage to DNA in human lymphocytes.
Cells were pretreated with various concentrations (10, 50, 100 and 500
μg/mL) of the extract for 1 h at 37°C. Cells were then treated with 100
μM of H_2O_2 for 5~min as an oxidative
stress. Evaluation of oxidative damage was performed using single-cell gel
electrophoresis for DNA fragmentation (Comet assay). Using image analysis, the
degree of DNA damage was evaluated as the DNA tail moment. Cells pretreated
with Chaga extract showed over 40% reduction in DNA fragmentation compared with
the positive control (100 μmol H_2O_2
treatment). Thus, Chaga mushroom treatment affords cellular protection against
endogenous DNA damage produced by
H_2O_2.
Keywords: chaga extract, comet assay, human lymphocyte, Inonotus obliquus, oxidative DNA damage
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 21, no. 1-4, pp. 109-112, 2004
