Ethanolic extracts of Antrodia cinnamomea mycelia fermented at varied times and scales have differential effects on hepatoma cells and normal primary hepatocytes.

Mycelia of Antrodia cinnamomea (AC), an edible fungus native to Taiwan, were produced by submerged fermentation with various fermentation times in 250 mL, 5 and 500 L fermentors and were evaluated for the effect of fermentation products on the viabilities of Hep3B and HepG2 hepatoma cells and normal primary rat hepatocytes. The results showed that the ethanolic extracts of AC mycelia (from 250 mL fermentation for 8 wk and 5 and 500 L fermentations for 4 wk) possessed high antihepatoma activity. The IC(50) of ethanolic extract of AC mycelia fermented for 8 wk in a 250 mL fermentor against Hep3B and HepG2 cells were 82.9 and 54.2 microg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the IC(50) for Hep3B and HepG2, treated with ethanolic extract of AC mycelia fermented for 4 wk in the 5 L fermentor were 48.7 and 3.8 microg/mL, respectively. Those treated with ethanolic extract of AC mycelia fermented for 4 wk in the 500 L fermentor were 36.9 and 3.1 microg/mL, respectively. No adverse effects of all samples on normal primary rat hepatocytes were observed.