The Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Talaromyces species.

The focus of this review is placed on the chemical structures from the species of the genus Talaromyces reported with reference to their biological activities. 221 secondary metabolites, including 43 alkaloids and peptides, 88 esters, 31 polyketides, 19 quinones, 15 steroid and terpenoids, and 25 other structure type compounds, have been included, and 66 references are cited.

Isolation of Secondary Metabolites from the Soil-Derived Fungus Clonostachys rosea YRS-06, a Biological Control Agent, and Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity.

The fungus Clonostachys rosea is widely distributed all over the world. The destructive force of this fungus, as a biological control agent, is very strong to lots of plant pathogenic fungi. As part of the ongoing search for antibiotics from fungi obtained from soil samples, the secondary metabolites of C. rosea YRS-06 were investigated. Through efficient bioassay-guided isolation, three new bisorbicillinoids possessing open-ended cage structures, tetrahydrotrichodimer ether (1) and dihydrotrichodimer ether A and B (2 and 3), and 12 known compounds were obtained. Their structures were determined via extensive NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and CD spectroscopic analyses and X-ray diffraction data. Compounds 1-3 are rare bisorbicillinoids with a γ-pyrone moiety. The biological properties of 1-15 were evaluated against six different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bisorbicillinoids, 2-5, and TMC-151 C and E, 14 and 15, showed potent antibacterial activity.

Talaromycolides A-C, Novel Phenyl-Substituted Phthalides Isolated from the Green Chinese Onion-Derived Fungus Talaromyces pinophilus AF-02.

The green Chinese onion (Allium fistulosum L.), which is widely cultivated and has been naturalized in many places, is an important spice and vegetable in East and Southeast Asia. It is used to treat the common cold in China. In the ongoing search for antibacterial activity in fungi derived from natural, pungently scented vegetables, the secondary metabolites of Talaromyces pinophilus AF-02, which was isolated from the stem of the green Chinese onion, were investigated. The genus Talaromyces (Trichocomaceae) is an important fungal genus because of its ubiquity and the role of many of its species in food and agriculture production. Three new phthalide derivatives, talaromycolides A-C, 1-3; a new long-chain dicarboxylic acid, 11; and 12 known compounds were isolated from methanolic extracts of this fungus. Their structures were determined via extensive NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and CD spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1-3 are rare phthalide derivatives with a novel linkage position between the phenyl and phthalide moieties. The biological properties of 1-16 were evaluated using six different bacteria, and 1-3, 5, and 11 exhibited significant antibacterial activity in response to some of the tested strains.

Lovastatin induces neuroprotection by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines in 6-hydroxydopamine treated microglia cells.

PURPOSE/AIM: This study aims to investigate the impact of lovastatin on neuroinflammation in 6-OHDA-treated microglia cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-treated microglia cells were used to investigate the neuroprotective nature of lovastatin. After incubation with 6-OHDA and/or lovastatin for 24 h, test kits were used to detect the levels of LDH and glutamate, which were released from PC12 cells exposed to different culture media. The mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß were determined by RT-PCR and the protein levels were analyzed by Western blot. RESULTS: LDH and glutamate levels in 6-OHDA-incubated PC12 cells increased, when compared with those in the controls, while incubation with lovastatin inhibited this elevation. The expression levels of TNF-α IL-6 and IL-1ß were significantly upregulated after treatment with 6-OHDA. The 6-OHDA-stimulated mRNA and protein levels of TNF-α IL-6 and IL-1ß were reduced by lovastatin. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that Lovastatin is able to induce neuroprotection by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. The data provide direct evidence of the potential application of lovastatin for the treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases.

Pyrone derivatives from the endophytic fungus Alternaria tenuissima SP-07 of Chinese herbal medicine Salvia przewalskii.

Three new pyrones, solanapyrones P-R (1-3), were afforded by the extracts of the endophytic fungus Alternaria tenuissima SP-07 isolated from the fresh root of Chinese herbal medicine Salvia przewalskii, along with the known solanapyrones (4-6) and benzopyrones (7-9). Solanapyrones P (1) and Q (2) possess an unprecedented nor-solanapyrone skeleton as natural products. Their structures were determined on the basis of NMR and HR-ESI-MS analysis. The plausible biosynthetic pathways to those unknown compounds were discussed. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against six bacteria.