N.N. Ilyinskikh, L.B. Gluhova, E.N. Ilyinskikh, R.A. Karnachuk

It was found that the stimulation of human lymphocyte cultures by the extracts of shiitake mushroom mycelium (Lentinula edodes) grown at different light conditions can induce in vitro blast cell transformation effects. There are significant distinctions between the mitogen effects induced by the phytohemagglutinin and the shiitake mushroom mycelium extracts. Blast transformation effects of phytohemagglutinin have begun since 48 h of the lymphocyte cultivation as well as the effects of the shiitake extracts have been detected since 72 h. The extracts of shiitake mushroom mycelium grown at the different light conditions induced unequal proliferation effects in the cultures. The most active mitogen effects were caused by an extract grown at the blue light spectrum. The proliferation effects of extracts grown at the green or red light spectra were lower than those of the extract grown at the blue light spectrum but higher than those of the extracts grown at the dark. Increase in the area of blast cells at the lymphocyte cultures has been determined since 72 h of the cell cultivation with the shiitake extracts. The most increase in the cell area was induced by adding the extracts grown at the green or red light spectra. It was found significant negative correlations between proliferation effects induced by the shiitake extracts and the areas of blast cells (r = 0,78, p < 0,01). Thus, the results have demonstrated that the mitogen and transformation effects of the shiitake extracts have significant distinctions from the effects of the phytohemagglutinin which may be associated with the stimulation of other subpopulations of lymphocytes.