Antitumor and Immunomodulatory Activity of Pleurotus eryngii Extract

Pleurotus eryngii (P. eryngii), also known as the king oyster mushroom, contains many bioactive substances, including polysaccharides, lipids, peptides, sterols and triterpenoids. The aim of this study was to explore the antitumor and immunomodulatory activities of P. eryngii extract. The fresh P. eryngii material was extracted with MeOH (methanol) and then partitioned with EtOAc (ethyl acetate). The study showed that the P. eryngii EtOAc extract (EAe) not only has antitumor effects by in vitro and in vivo methods but also significantly increases some immune activities. In addition, histopathological observations showed that EAe‐treated mice exhibited much lower cancerization throughout the liver and lung. EAe can also promote antioxidant activity, which may regulate the body's antioxidant capacity and activate the antitumor mechanism. Practical Applications Our study revealed the anticancer and immunomodulatory activity of Pleurotus eryngii extract, and identified the key components of the P. eryngii extract with HPLC‐MS. These findings explain the antitumor activity of P. eryngii, which is very useful for developing the potential antitumor drugs for clinical application.