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Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and its effects can be worsened when high levels of oxidative stress are present. Lentinula edodes and Pleurotus ostreatus are two edible mushroom species that have been shown to contain many anticancer agents. However, the effects of these mushrooms have not been tested on cancer in the presence of oxidative stress. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to test the effectiveness of L. edodes and P. ostreatus in reducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth when oxidative stress was present. It was hypothesized that these two mushroom species would reduce S. cerevisiae growth in the presence of oxidative stress, as both mushroom species produce potent antioxidants and have anticancer properties. While S. cerevisiae was growing in a dextrose solution, L. edodes and P. ostreatus aqueous extracts were made. Then, 2 mL of S. cerevisiae, 1 mL of mushroom extract (L. edodes or P. ostreatus), and 56.8 µL of H2O2 were added into a 5 mL plastic cuvette. After a 24-hour growth period, an optical density assay was performed at OD600 to quantify the amount of S. cerevisiae in each cuvette. Compared to the control group, L. edodes and P. ostreatus decreased S. cerevisiae growth by 39.5% and 28.3%, respectively. Statistical results from the one-way ANOVA test showed that F(2, 87) = 17.093, p < 0.00001. A post-hoc Tukey test showed a significant difference between the means of the control groups and both treatment groups. The results of the present study indicate that L. edodes and P. ostreatus can potentially be used to treat cancer when oxidative stress is present.

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