Abstract
Cordyceps militaris, a genus of ascomycete fungai, is usually used as traditional Chinese medicine. We manufactured Cordyceps militaris spirits, named Kinkirishima (SCS), by soaking Cordyceps militaris in sweetpotato shochu. This study aims to clarify the chemopreventive effect of SCS extract by investigating the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in human colon carcinoma cells (HCT-116). Based on bioactivity-guided separation, we found that Fraction 1C-III had strongest inhibitory effects on the proliferation of HCT-116 cells. Molecular data showed that Fraction 1C-III induced the apoptosis of HCT-116 as characterized by DNA fragmentation, the activation of caspase-3, and the cleavage of poly (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP). The major bioactive component is clarified as cordycepin using HPLC, FT-IR, and NMR analysis.
