樟芝(Antrodia camphorate)為臺灣特有生物,且只生長於臺灣特有種牛樟樹(Cinnamomum kanehirai)樹洞中,價格昂貴,民間視為解毒、保肝、抗癌草藥,但栽培困難迄今仍以採集為主,因此對牛樟樹之保育傷害甚大。本研究乃以液態深層培養方式進行樟芝菌絲體之生產,培養條件為l%之接種量,轉數90rpm,通氣量為0.5vvm,溫度為28℃,以50噸槽體進行35噸培養, 8天後可得到紅色菌絲,發酵全液於55℃減壓濃縮後進行冷凍乾燥,收率可達1.8%,多醣含量則在8%以上。在安全性及功能性試驗方面,以Salmonella typhimurium 進行致突變性試驗,發現在0.1-10mg/mL範圍內均無致突變性;以中國地鼠肺細胞株(CHL)檢測是否會誘導染色體變異,結果為陰性反應;對ICR雄性鼴鼠之週邊血液進行遺傳基因微核試驗,亦為陰性反應;又以SD懷孕雌鼠做致畸胎試驗,證明無任何臨床致畸胎毒性症狀顯現;以SD大白鼠進行急性毒性試驗,連續餵食高劑量樟芝成品,於餵食14天(3000mg/kg)及28天(2000mg/kg)後犧牲並進行解剖,結果均無任何急性毒性症狀,飼料混合2%樟芝進行90天餵食,結果亦無毒性發現;在功能性方面以C57BL/6和BALB/c兩種小鼠進行試驗,結果顯示餵食樟芝四週後可減少感染血吸蟲數,分別達60%和48%,分析細胞激素發現TNF-α、IFN-γ和IL-2皆明顯增加,而IL-4和IL-10則與控制組相差不多。
Antrodia camphorata (Zhan-Ku), is a new and exclusive fungus parasitic on the inner wall of the heart wood of endemic evergreen Cinnamomun kanehirai Hay. in Taiwan. It has been unutilized as traditional herb for the treatment of food and drug intoxications, diarrhea, abnormal pains, hypertension and liver cancer in Taiwan folk medicine. Solid culture of its fruit body is still difficult. So a submerged culture was developed on 50 Ton scale in a 90rpm, 0.5vvm, 28℃ condition. Whole broth turned into redness at 8th day after 1% inoculating was concentrated at 55℃ and lyophilied. The product is proven as safe after evaluation in Ames test, in vitro and in vivo chromosomal damage in mammalian cell, 14-day, 28-day, 90-day feeding toxicity and teratogenicity studies. The induction of protective immunity of A. camphorata against Schistosoma mansoni in vivo animal model was effective in reducing infection ratio up to 60% after 4-week feeding. The mRNA expression of 3 cytokines including TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2 increases very significantly but not on IL-4 and IL-10.