Anti-breast-cancer activity of self-fermented Bovistella sinensis Lloyd extracts through the mitochondrial ROS-induced apoptosis in vitro

Bovistella sinensis (BS) Lloyd was medically used by Chinese folks and associated with various bioactivities. In this study, dry fruiting body of Bovistella sinensis (BS) Lloyd was self-fermented to improve the anti-breast-cancer activity and the mitochondrial ROS-induced apoptosis of key compound was investigated. BS extracts obtained with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, ethanol, and distilled water showed various inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MDA-MB-231. The various self-fermented BS extracts had a better effect on inhibition of MDA-MB-231 proliferation than that of untreated. And the ethyl acetate extract was found having the highest inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 proliferation, which was further separated into seven fractions. And among these fractions, fraction 6 exhibited the highest performance, where the major component F was obtained. The inhibition rate of 50 mu g/ml of component F on MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and MCF-10A were 60.12%, 56.16%, and 6.45%, respectively, showed the low toxicity in normal cell line. When treated with F, the activity and the mitochondrial membrane potential of MDA-MB-231 cells decreased significantly, while the intracellular reactive oxygen species increased, showed that the mitochondrial pathway was induced by reactive oxygen species. The HPLC, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, and 2D NMR analysis showed component F may be a kind of fatty acid or ester. Therefore, self-fermentation may be an efficient technology that could improve anti-tumor activity and component F from self-fermented BS might be considered as an anti-cancer ingredient applied in functional food and anti-carcinogen. Practical applications Anti-breast-cancer activity and mechanism of self-fermented Bovistella sinensis Lloyd extract were investigated. The ethyl acetate extract showed a comparatively higher inhibitory effect and was separated into seven fractions. Fraction 6 showed the strongest cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line and obtained a major component F with low cytotoxicity in a normal cell line. Component F had the potential to be used as natural anti-cancer agents.