Mushrooms and mushroom extracts have traditionally been used as therapies for a wide variety of ailments, including allergy, arthritis, and other inflammatory disorders. However, more evidence is required on the mechanism by which mushrooms exert these effects. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory properties of ethanol and hot water extracts prepared from 27 fungal samples collected between October and November 2011 at various forest locations in the southwest of Ireland were investigated using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage (RAW264.7 cells) model of inflammation. LPS-stimulated cells were incubated in the presence of mushroom extracts at nontoxic concentrations for 24 h and the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was quantified by ELISA. Seven ethanolic and one hot water extract that decreased IL-6 production were selected for further study. The extracts were then incubated with LPS-stimulated cells for 24 h and the production of IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nitric oxide (NO) was measured. Ethanolic extracts prepared from Russula mairei, Lactarius blennius, Craterellus tubaeformis, Russula fellea, and Craterellus cornucopioides demonstrated selective anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the production of NO and IL-6 but not TNF-α in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. These findings support existing evidence of the anti-inflammatory potential of mushroom extracts.
Keywords: RAW264.7; anti-inflammatory; fungi; wild mushrooms.