Anticancer Activity of the Bioactive Extract of the Morel Mushroom (Morchella elata, Ascomycetes) from Kashmir Himalaya (India) and Identification of Major Bioactive Compounds.

Morel mushrooms, Morchella species are highly nutritional, excellently edible and medicinal. Anticancer activity of M. elata, growing in forests of Kashmir Himalaya was studied. Ethyl acetate extract of fruiting bodies of M. elata (MEAE) was evaluated for cytotoxicity by MTT assay using Daltons lymphoma ascites (DLA), human colon cancer (HCT-116) and normal cell lines. Anti-carcinogenic and antiangiogenic activities of MEAE were tested using mouse models. Proapoptotic activity was detected by double staining of acridine orange-ethidium bromide assay. MEAE was partially purified by column chromatography and the bioactive compounds were identified by LC-MS analysis. The bioactive extract of M. elata showed significant cytotoxicic activity against DLA (P < 0.05), HCT-116 cell lines (P < 0.05) and did not possess appreciable adverse effect on the viability of normal cells. At a concentration of 100 µg/mL, 60% cell death was observed in HCT-116 cell line while 80% cell death was found in DLA cell line. The extract also possessed profound anticarcinogenic, antiangiogenic and proapoptotic activities. LC-MS analysis showed celastrol (RT 9.504, C29H38O4, MW 450.27), convallatoxin (RT 9.60, C29H42O10, MW 550.27), cucurbitacin A (RT 11.97, C32H46O9, MW 574.71) and madecassic acid (RT 14.35, C30H48O6, MW 504.70) as the major bioactive components. Current experimental studies indicated that bioactive extract of M. elata possessed significant anticancer activity. Being an excellently edible mushroom, the potential therapeutic use of M. elata and its bioactive extract in complementary therapy of cancer is envisaged.