Mutagenicity and genotoxicity effects of Lignosus rhinocerotis mushroom mycelium.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Lignosus rhinocerotis mushroom is widely used as traditional medicine and as soup ingredient in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Its sclerotium is the part of edibility and is traditionally used for the treatment of fever, cough, asthma and cancer. In view of its safety profile, very little information is found in scientific literature.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the potential genotoxic and mutagenic effects of Lr in the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA102, TA1535 and TA1537, an in vitro chromosome aberration test in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K1) cells and an in vivo erythrocyte micronucleus test in ICR mice.

Results: In all tested concentrations, no mutagenicity was observed in either testing strain under both presence and absence of S9 metabolic mixture when tested up to the highest dose of 100mg/ml. No significant increases in chromosome aberration numbers or micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes were observed. Erythropoiesis was not affected in animals gavaged up to 2000 mg/kg of Lr.

Conclusions: Results from this study conclude that Lignosus rhinocerotis mycelium does not provoke mutagenicity and genotoxicity in these applied systems.