A polysaccharide from Armillaria mellea exhibits strong in vitro anticancer activity via apoptosis-involved mechanisms

► Armillaria mellea is a famous traditional Chinese medicinal and edible fungus. ► A polysaccharide (AMP) is isolated from the fruiting bodies of A. mellea. ► AMP inhibits tumor proliferation and induces apoptosis in A549 cells. ► Disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential by AMP lead to cytochrome c release. ► AMP-induced apoptosis occurred through the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9.