Hispidin produced from Phellinus linteus protects pancreatic beta-cells from damage by hydrogen peroxide.

Phellinus linteus, which is a traditional medicinal mushroom used in Asian countries for the treatment of various diseases, has attracted a lot of attention due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenicity, and cell-mediated immunity properties in addition to its ability to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. However, the antidiabetic efficacy of P. linteus has not yet been examined. In this study, hispidin from P. linteus exhibited quenching effects against DPPH radicals, superoxide radicals, and hydrogen peroxide in a dose-dependent manner. Intracellular reactive oxygen species scavenging activity of hispidin was approximately 55% at a concentration of 30 microM. In addition, hispidin was shown to inhibit hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis and increased insulin secretion in hydrogen peroxide-treated cells. These combined results indicate that hispidin may act as an antidiabetic and that this property occurs through preventing beta-cells from the toxic action of reactive oxygen species in diabetes.