Distinguishing commercially grown Ganoderma lucidum from Ganoderma lingzhi from Europe and East Asia on the basis of morphology, molecular phylogeny, and triterpenic acid profiles.

In China and other countries of East Asia, so-called Ling-zhi or Reishi mushrooms are used in traditional medicine since several centuries. Although the common practice to apply the originally European name 'Ganoderma lucidum' to these fungi has been questioned by several taxonomists, this is still generally done in recent publications and with commercially cultivated strains. In the present study, two commercially sold strains of 'G. lucidum', M9720 and M9724 from the company Mycelia bvba (Belgium), are compared for their fruiting body (basidiocarp) morphology combined with molecular phylogenetic analyses, and for their secondary metabolite profile employing an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESIMS) in combination with a high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). According to basidiocarp morphology, the strain M9720 was identified as G. lucidum s.str. whereas M9724 was determined as Ganoderma lingzhi. In molecular phylogenetic analyses, the M9720 ITS and beta-tubulin sequences grouped with sequences of G. lucidum s.str. from Europe whereas those from M9724 clustered with sequences of G. lingzhi from East Asia. We show that an ethanol extract of ground basidiocarps from G. lucidum (M9720) contains much less triterpenic acids than found in the extract of G. lingzhi (M9724). The high amount of triterpenic acids accounts for the bitter taste of the basidiocarps of G. lingzhi (M9724) and of its ethanol extract. Apparently, triterpenic acids of G. lucidum s.str. are analyzed here for the first time. These results demonstrate the importance of taxonomy for commercial use of fungi.

Antiprotozoal activities of Millettia richardiana (Fabaceae) from Madagascar.

With at least 60% of the Millettia species (Fabaceae) being in medicinal use, we found it relevant to assess the potential antiprotozoal and antifungal activities of Millettia richardiana. Water and methanol crude extracts of the stem barks from M. richardiana and the six fractions resulting from the fractionation of the methanol extract were tested. The dichloromethane extracted fraction showed the best in vitro antiprotozoal activities (IC50=5.8 µg/mL against Plasmodium falciparum, 11.8 µg/mL against Leishmania donovani and 12.8 µg/mL against Trypanosoma brucei brucei) as well as low cytotoxicity on several cell lines. The phytochemical analysis showed this selected fraction to be rich in terpenoids and alkaloids, which could explain its antiparasitic activity. A phytochemical study revealed the presence of lonchocarpenin, betulinic acid, ß-amyrin, lupeol, palmitic acid, linoleic acid and stearic acid, among which betulinic acid and lupeol could be the compounds responsible of these antiprotozoal activities. By contrast, neither the crude extracts nor the fractions showed antifungal activity against Candida. These results confirm the importance of the genus Millettia in Malagasy ethnomedicine, its potential use in antiparasitic therapy, and the interest of developing a sustainable exploitation of this plant. Moreover, both molecules betulinic acid and lupeol appeared as very relevant molecules for their antiprotozoal properties.

Pyrone and unusually furanone-substituted flavones from the leaves of Hoslundia opposita.

Two new unusual 6-furanoflavones, hoslunfuranine (5) and 5-O-methylhoslunfuranine (6), were isolated from the leaves of Hoslundia opposita Vahl.. Four known methylpyranoflavonic analogues [hosloppin (1), hoslundin (2), 5-O-methylhoslundin (3), oppositin (4)], all specific of the species, were also obtained. Their structures were established on the basis of their spectroscopic data. In vitro cytotoxic, trypanocidal, and leishmanicidal activities of compounds 1 and 3 to 6 were evaluated. Compounds 4 and 6 exhibited leishmanicidal potential in the micromolar range.

Composition, and antimicrobial and remarkable antiprotozoal activities of the essential oil of rhizomes of Aframomum sceptrum K. Schum. (Zingiberaceae).

The essential oil from the rhizomes of Aframomum sceptrum (Zingiberaceae) was analyzed by GC/MS, and its major constituents were found to be ß-pinene (12.7%), caryophyllene oxide (10.0%), and cyperene (6.0%). The oil was also evaluated for antimicrobial activities, in comparison with ß-pinene, caryophyllene oxide, and the leaf essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (Myrtaceae). The A. sceptrum essential oil exhibited bacteriostatic activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and S. aureus, but not against Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, it showed mild fungicidal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigates, and remarkable antiprotozoal activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei (MLC of 1.51 µl/ml) and Trichomonas vaginalis (IC(50) of 0.12±0.02 and MLC of 1.72 µl/ml).