Antitumour activity of Grifola frondosa exopolysaccharides produced by submerged fermentation using sugar cane and soy molasses as carbon sources

Abstract

Grifola frondosa is an edible Basidiomycete and produces exopolysaccharides (EPS) known for their antitumour activity. The objectives of this study are to produce exopolysaccharides in submerged fermentation using alternative carbon sources (sugar cane and soy molasses), and to evaluate their anti-proliferative activity against tumour cells. Exopolysaccharides were extracted by ethanol and tested against mice tumour cells, then characterized by gas chromatography. Carbon sources represent the major cost of the bioprocess, so a search for new alternatives such as agro-industrial residues is important to establish the viability on an industrial scale. Moreover, the data about the kinetics of the EPS production allow studying the optimization of the process.