Lucidenic acid B (Lucidenicacid B), a natural compound extracted from Ganoderma lucidum, induces activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP, which can induce apoptosis in human leukemia cells through mitochondrial mediation. Lucidenic acid B inhibits PMA-induced invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inactivating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and decreasing the binding activity of NF-kappaB and AP-1. Lucidenic acid B had no effect on cell cycle and necrotic cells.

The effect of Lucidenic acids (A, B, C, and N) isolated from a new G. lucidum (YK-02) on the induction of cell apoptosis and the apoptotic pathway in HL-60 cells was investigated. The results demonstrated that Lucidenic acid B (LAB) did not affect the cell cycle profile; however, it increased the number of early and late apoptotic cells but not necrotic cells. Treatment of HL-60 cells with LAB caused loss of mitochondria membrane potential. Moreover, the ratio of expression levels of pro- and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members was changed by LAB treatment. LAB-induced apoptosis involved the release of mitochondria cytochrome c and subsequently induced the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, which were followed by cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP).[1]