Chemical constituents and their biological activities from the mushroom Pyropolyporus fomentarius.

The chemical constituents and their biological activities of the mushroom Pyropolyporus fomentarius were investigated in this study. Two previously undescribed pentacyclic lupane-type triterpenes, 3-formyloxybetulin and 3-formyloxybetulinic acid, two rare degraded ergosterols, pyropolincisterols A and B, along with ten known triterpenoids and four known ergosterols were isolated from the fruiting bodies of P. fomentarius. Their chemical structures were determined using a combination of spectroscopic analysis. Nine compounds exhibited certain cytotoxicities to human cancer cell lines, while polyporenic acid showed significant cytotoxicities to SMMC-7721 and A-549 with IC50 values less than 10 µM. Four compounds showed inhibitory activities against nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 36.3, 25.1, 21.4, and 34.2 µM, respectively. The results of this assessment suggested that the lanostane triterpenoids and ergosterols in fruiting bodies of P. fomentarius played key roles in its folk usages.

Trichothecrotocins D-L, Antifungal Agents from a Potato-Associated Trichothecium crotocinigenum.

Seven new merosesquiterpenoids, trichothecrotocins D-J (1-7), two new trichothecene sesquiterpenoids, trichothecrotocins K (12) and L (13), and six known compounds (8-11, 14, and 15), were isolated from a potato-associated fungus, Trichothecium crotocinigenum. Compounds 5 and 6 were racemates which were further separated as pure enantiomers. Structures together with absolute configurations were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, as well as quantum chemistry calculations on ECD and optical rotations. Compounds 1-4 are rare meroterpenoids featuring a seco-phenyl group, while 1 and 2 possessed a novel 6-6/5 fused ring system. Compounds 1-4, 8, 11, and 12 showed antifungal activity against four plant pathogens with MIC values of 8-128 µg/mL. It is suggested that the meroterpenoids produced by T. crotocinigenum may play an important role in the antifungal property of the fungus, thereby protecting the host plant, i.e., potato.

Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids from the bark of Melodinus henryi.

Four new alkaloids, melodinines W1-W4 (1-4), together with twenty one known alkaloids (5-25) were isolated from Melodinus henryi. The structures with absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive MS and NMR spectroscopic methods, as well as the single crystal X-ray diffraction and ECD calculations. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicities to five human cancer cell lines. Many compounds showed certain cytotoxicities to five human cancer cell lines with an IC50 range of 1.4-29.4 µM.