In particular, the effect on leukemia U937 cells was remarkable, but there was almost no effect on bile duct adenocarcinoma TYBDC-1 cells or pancreatic KP-3L cancer cells. In addition, almost no effect was exerted on three normal cells (human hepatocyte (NHH), human mammary epithelial cells (NHME), human epidermal melanocytes (NHEM)) at the same concentration. Therefore, it was revealed that the human cell proliferation inhibitory effect of the C. militaris water extract fraction greatly differs in susceptibility depending on the type of cancer cell under the concentration range not affecting normal cells. Furthermore, the anti-cancer effect of C. militaris was associated with an induction of cell cycle arrest and caspase-mediated apoptosis. This fact suggests that some compounds contained in metabolic fluids of these mushrooms can be lead compounds leading to the development of anticancer drugs with very few side effects. | Specific antiproliferative activity against several human cancer cells possessed by cordyceps militaris grown in viable pupa of silkworm raised under sterile environment
