Protective Roles of Mushrooms in Experimental Colon Carcinogenesis

There is epidemilogical evidence that the population with high fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$activity has greater risk of colon cancer than the population with low facal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$. This relationship was investigated by using the mouse-dimethylhydrazine colon carcinogenesis model and the fraction of Glucidum which is a .${\beta}-glucuronidase$inhibitor. Mice with low facal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$activity induced by consumption of the ether fraction of G lucidum had significantly fewer aberrant crypts(AC) after injections of 1, 2-dimethylhydeazine (DMH) than mice treated with DMH alone. The result supports the hypothesis that the inhibitor such as the ether fraction of G lucidum can protect an animal against the induction of colon cancer.