Abstract

Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat. is a perennial and abundant mushroom in Bukidnon Province, Philippines but its bioactivities have just been investigated lately. In this study, three supercritical-CO₂ (SC-CO₂) extracts (GA1, GA2 and GA3) from the local strain ofG. applanatum (Pers.) Pat. were examined for their DNA-binding potential by means of biomolecular-chemical screening and in vivo cytotoxicity using brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA). All extracts contained secondary metabolites that have DNA-binding activity towards salmon sperm DNA (Rf₂/Rf₁-ratio <1). For BSLA, the LC₅₀ (24 h) values ranged from 177.82 to 354.81 µg/ml, indicating that the extracts are biologically active but with no significant cytotoxicity. Reverse-phase HPLC and FT-IR spectroscopy were carried out to partially characterize the extracts. Results of this study showed that G. applanatum (Pers.) Pat. from Bukidnon Province, Philippines is a potential source of biologically active, non-toxic compounds with DNA-binding activity.

Key words: Ganoderma applanatum, DNA-binding activity, cytotoxicity, supercritical-CO₂