Anticancer and antimicrobial activities and chemical composition of the birch mazegill mushroom Lenzites betulina (higher Basidiomycetes).

The anticancer properties, antibiotic activity, and chemical composition of Lenzites betulina ethanol extract (EE) were evaluated. Eight compounds including 5 sterols were isolated from L. betulina, and 7 compounds were isolated from L. betulina for the first time. The EE displayed strong anticancer activity against tumor cell line MDA-MB-231, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 51.46 μg/mL, and there was 83.15% inhibition at a concentration of 200 μg/mL (MTT assay). The antimicrobial activity of the EE was evaluated against 6 microorganisms-Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Fusarium graminearum, Gibberella zeae, and Cercosporella albo-maculans-and the EE showed moderate antibiotic activity. These results suggest that L. betulina could be a good anticancer and antibiotic agent.