Ganoderma lucidum stimulates autophagy-dependent longevity pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans and human cells.

The medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum is used as a dietary supplement and health tonic, but whether it affects longevity remains unclear. We show here that a water extract of G. lucidum mycelium extends lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The G. lucidum extract reduces the level of fibrillarin (FIB-1), a nucleolar protein that correlates inversely with longevity in various organisms. Furthermore, G. lucidum treatment increases expression of the autophagosomal protein marker LGG-1, and lifespan extension is abrogated in mutant C. elegans strains that lack atg-18, daf-16, or sir-2.1, indicating that autophagy and stress resistance pathways are required to extend lifespan. In cultured human cells, G. lucidum increases concentrations of the LGG-1 ortholog LC3 and reduces levels of phosphorylated mTOR, a known inhibitor of autophagy. Notably, low molecular weight compounds (<10 kDa) isolated from the G. lucidum water extract prolong lifespan of C. elegans and the same compounds induce autophagy in human cells. These results suggest that G. lucidum can increase longevity by inducing autophagy and stress resistance.

Myths and Realities Surrounding the Mysterious Caterpillar Fungus.

The caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a medicinal mushroom increasingly used as a dietary supplement for various health conditions, including fatigue, chronic inflammation, and male impotence. Here, we propose strategies to address the existing challenges related to the study and commercial production of this mysterious fungus.

Pinicolol B from Antrodia cinnamomea induces apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The medicinal mushroom Antrodia cinnamomea possesses anticancer properties but the active compounds responsible for these effects are mostly unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to identify novel A. cinnamomea compounds that produce cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using ethanol extraction and chromatography, we isolated the lanostanoid compound lanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-3ß,15α,21-triol (1) from cultured A. cinnamomea mycelium. Cytotoxicity and pro-apoptotic effects of compound 1 were evaluated using the MTS assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Compound 1 produced cytotoxic effects on the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines TW02 and TW04, with IC50 values of 63.3 and 115.0µM, respectively. On the other hand, no cytotoxic effects were observed on non-tumorigenic nasopharyngeal epithelial cells (NP69). In addition, compound 1 induced apoptosis in TW02 and TW04 cells as revealed by flow cytometry analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate for the first time the presence of pinicolol B in A. cinnamomea mycelium and suggest that this compound may contribute to the anticancer effects of A. cinnamomea.

Isolation, Culture and Characterization of Hirsutella sinensis Mycelium from Caterpillar Fungus Fruiting Body.

The caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (previously called Cordyceps sinensis) has been used for centuries in Asia as a tonic to improve health and longevity. Recent studies show that O. sinensis produces a wide range of biological effects on cells, laboratory animals and humans, including anti-fatigue, anti-infection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor activities. In view of the rarity of O. sinensis fruiting bodies in nature, cultivation of its anamorph mycelium represents a useful alternative for large-scale production. However, O. sinensis fruiting bodies harvested in nature harbor several fungal contaminants, a phenomenon that led to the isolation and characterization of a large number of incorrect mycelium strains. We report here the isolation of a mycelium from a fruiting body of O. sinensis and we identify the isolate as O. sinensis' anamorph (also called Hirsutella sinensis) based on multi-locus sequence typing of several fungal genes (ITS, nrSSU, nrLSU, RPB1, RPB2, MCM7, ß-tubulin, TEF-1α, and ATP6). The main characteristics of the isolated mycelium, including its optimal growth at low temperature (16°C) and its biochemical composition, are similar to that of O. sinensis fruiting bodies, indicating that the mycelium strain characterized here may be used as a substitute for the rare and expensive O. sinensis fruiting bodies found in nature.