1. Immunomodulatory effect Host immune surveillance plays a crucial role in recognizing and destroying invading pathogens and host cells that become cancerous, so immunotherapy has become one of the important strategies for cancer prevention and treatment. Accumulating evidence implicates that G. lucidum polysaccharides(GLP) partially exert the anticancer action by stimulating the immune function. This is primarily attributed [...]
Breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide, is a heterogeneous disease composed of a broad spectrum of tumor subtypes with different biological characteristics and clinical behavior. The primary breast cancer markers traditionally used in routine clinical practice to establish the disease's diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy are estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human [...]
Antitumor Effects Previous studies over the past 30 years have strongly suggested that there are three possible ways by which maitake (Grifola frondosa) exerts its anticancer effect—protection of healthy cells, prevention of tumor metastasis, and inhibition of tumor growth. In other words, maitake can fight against tumors directly and indirectly by enhancing the immune system. This section will mainly focus on [...]
In recent years, traditional herbal medicines have gained more interest as a complementary and alternative cancer therapy approach because of their insignificant side effects on the human body. Ganoderma lucidum (GL), an important natural product derived from the medicinal mushroom, draws attention since it enhances human health and increases longevity. It has exhibited significant antitumor effects against different [...]
Anti-Oxidation Carotenoids contain long conjugated double bonds in a polyene chain responsible for antioxidant activities by quenching singlet oxygen and scavenging radicals to terminate the chain reaction. Astaxanthin has a conjugated polyene chain at the center and hydroxy and keto moieties on each ionone ring. Due to its unique molecular structure, astaxanthin shows better biological activity [...]
According to the current research, the best source of natural astaxanthin, Haematococcus pluvialis, has extremely harsh growth conditions and has very high requirements for light, temperature, and growth environment. Once the growth environment does not meet the requirements, Haematococcus pluvialis will stop producing astaxanthin and die quickly. Only under certain circumstances, astaxanthin will be rapidly produced [...]