Abstract
BACKGROUND: Antrodia camphorata is a geographically special fungus and is one of the precious traditional medicines of Taiwan. A lot of reports have addressed its antioxidant activities and anticancer activities. In order to understand whether these protection effects were resulted from its ability of preventing DNA against hydroxyl radical damage, the A. camphorata extract was used to examine its antioxidant, antimutagenic and DNA-protective activities. METHODS: A. camphorata extract was prepared by extracting the lyophilized powder of A. camphorata mycelium with distilled water. The antioxidative activity of this A. camphorata extract was then evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrozyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay, and the antimutagenic activities of the extract against direct mutagen 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQNO) and indirect mutagen benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) were evaluated by Ames test. The effects of the A. camphorata extract in terms of DNA protection against hydroxyl radical damage were also investigated. RESULTS: It was found that the higher the concentration of A. camphorata extracts, the higher the DPPH radical-scavenging effect. A. camphorata extract at concentrations between 0.625 and 10 mg/ml was found to be neither toxic nor mutagenic. However, the higher A. camphorata concentration (10 mg/ml) used in the test showed higher inhibitory effects on 4NQNO in a dose-dependent manner. The A. camphorata extract also showed reducing and scavenging activities against superoxide anion radical and also exhibited protective effects on DNA against hydroxyl radical-induced damage. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggested that A. camphorata is a non-toxic and novel material with antioxidant, antimutagenic and DNA-protective activities and could be developed into health foods.