The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the antitumor activity of different
solvent fractions (
ethanol,
dichloromethane,
ethyl acetate,
butanol and water) of the Auricularia auricula-judae 70%
ethanol extract on the P388D1 macrophage and
sarcoma 180 cells. A dose-dependent antitumor activity of each
solvent fraction (from 0.01 mg/ml to 0.3 mg/ml) was shown against both cell types. These cytotoxic effects of all the tested fractions were confirmed on the MTT and SRB assays, without statistical differences each other. IC50 value of
dichloromethane fraction was 94.2 μg/ml against
sarcoma 180 cells lower than any other
solvent fractions. The potent antitumor effect of the
dichloromethane (DCM) fraction was also found against solid
tumor in BALB/c mice. The
splenomegaly and higher splenic index were found in
tumor-bearing mice, with the DCM fraction returning to the negative control values. Thus, the results indicated the
dichloromethane fraction may have potential ingredients as antitumor candidates.