Chemistry and biology of Phellinus linteus

Antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase, and anti-amyloid-β peptide aggregations of hispolon and its analogs in vitro and improved learning and memory functions in scopolamine-induced ICR mice

BACKGROUND

Hispolon, one of bioactive phenolic compounds from a medicinal mushroom of sang-huang (Phellinus linteus) has been reported to exhibit anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. The Alzheimer's disease (AD) is ranked one of the top ten leading causes of death worldwide. Little is known about the effects of hispolon on delaying AD progression.

RESULTS

The hispolon (No.1) and its six structural analogs (No.2 to No.7) were assayed by antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase activities and anti-amyloid-β1-42-peptide aggregations. The No.1, No.6, and No.7 were selected for further molecular docking with acetylcholinesterase and core fragments of amyloid-β-peptide, and also showed capacities to recover cell viabilities in methylglyoxal-treated SH-SY5Y cells and also to enhance neurite outgrowths in PC12 cells. The daily pre-treatments of No.1, No.6, and No.7 for 10-days (40 mg/kg/day) showed to improve learning dysfunctions in scopolamine-induced ICR mice by passive avoidance tests.

CONCLUSION

The hispolon in the fungus sang-huang might be beneficial to develop functional foods or as lead compounds for treating degenerative disorders.

Distinguishing Sanghuangporus from sanghuang-related fungi: a comparative and phylogenetic analysis based on mitogenomes

The Chinese medicinal fungi "Sanghuang" have been long recognized for their significant and valued medicinal properties, as documented in ancient medical literature. However, in traditional folk medicine, various macrofungi sharing similar appearance, habitat, and therapeutic effects with Sanghuang were erroneously used. These Sanghuang-like fungi mainly belong to the Porodaedalea, Phellinus, and Inonotus genera within the Hymenochaetaceae family. Despite the establishment of the Sanghuangporus genus and the identification of multiple species, the emerging taxonomic references based on morphological, ITS, and mycelial structural features have been inadequate to differentiate Sanghuangporus and Sanghuang-like fungi. To address this limitation, this study presents the first comparative and phylogenetic analysis of Sanghuang-related fungi based on mitogenomes. Our results show that Sanghuangporus species show marked convergence in mitochondrial genomic features and form a distinct monophyletic group based on phylogenetic analyses of five datasets. These results not only deepen our understanding of Sanghuang-like fungi but also offer novel insights into their mitochondrial composition and phylogeny, thereby providing new research tools for distinguishing members of the Sanghuangporus genus. KEY POINTS: • Sanghuangporus, Inonotus, and Porodaedalea are monophyly in sanghuang-like species. • Mitogenome-based analysis exhibits high resolution in sanghuang-like genus. • The mitogenomes provide strong evidence for reclassifying Phellinus gilvus S12 as Sanghuangporus vaninii.

Current advances and potential trends of the polysaccharides derived from medicinal mushrooms sanghuang

For thousands of years, sanghuang is distinctive as a general designation for a group of precious and rare Chinese medicinal mushrooms. Numerous investigations have revealed that polysaccharide is one of the important biological active ingredients of sanghuang with various excellent biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, and anti-microbial functionalities. For the past two decades, preparation, structural characterization, and reliable bioactivities of the polysaccharides from fruiting bodies, cultured mycelia, and fermentation broth of sanghuang have been arousing extensive interest, and particularly, different strains, sources, and isolation protocols might result in obvious discrepancies in structural features and bioactivities. Therefore, this review summarizes the recent reports on preparation strategies, structural features, bioactivities, and structure-activity relationships of sanghuang polysaccharides, which will enrich the knowledge on the values of natural sanghuang polysaccharides and support their further development and utilization as therapeutic agents, vaccines, and functional foods in tonic and clinical treatment.

Structural diversity and bioactivity of polysaccharides from medicinal mushroom Phellinus spp.: A review

Phellinus spp., an important medicinal fungus mushroom extensively cultivated and consumed in East Asia for over 2000 years, is traditionally considered a precious food supplement and medicinal ingredient. Published studies showed that the polysaccharides are major bioactive macromolecules from Phellinus spp. (PPs) with multiple health-promoting effects, including immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and other bioactivities. Although the polysaccharides extracted from the fruiting body, mycelium, and fermentation broth of Phellinus spp. have been extensively studied for the extraction and purification methods, structural characteristics, and pharmacological activities, the knowledge for their structures and bioactivity relationship, toxicologic effects, and pharmacokinetic profile is limited. This review systematically summarizes the recent progress in the isolation and purification, chemical structures, bioactivities, and the underlying mechanisms of PPs. Information from this review provides insights into the further development of polysaccharides from PPs as therapeutic agents and functional foods.

Biochemical Properties and Effects on Mitochondrial Respiration of Aqueous Extracts of Basidiomycete Mushrooms

There are different varieties of mushrooms not yet studied spread all over the planet. The objective of this study was to evaluate biochemical properties and effects on mitochondrial respiration of eight Basidiomycete mushrooms: Flaviporus venustus EF30, Hydnopolyporus fimbriatus EF41 and EF44, Inonotus splitgerberi EF46, Oudemansiella canarii EF72, Perenniporia sp. EF79, Phellinus linteus EF81, and Pleurotus albidus EF84. Total phenols, ABTS, TEAC, FRAP, and ORAC were measured in order to determine the antioxidant capacity. Antimicrobial potential was studied by disc-diffusion and microdilution method. Cytotoxicity was determined in murine peritoneal macrophages. The bioenergetic aspects were evaluated by the uncoupling of the oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondrias. The H. fimbriatus mushroom was the one that presented the most significant results for the antioxidant assays. Three mushrooms presented antimicrobial activity, indicating a potential for formulation of drugs. The results suggest that I. spligerberi has an uncoupling activity, even at the lowest concentration tested, dissipating the mitochondrial electrochemical gradient. On the other hand, P. albidus has effect only on succinate-oxidase activity without influencing mitochondrial respiratory efficiency. Therefore, both interfere negatively in mitochondrial respiration. In relation with the cytotoxicity in peritoneal macrophages, O. canarii and F. venustus were cytotoxic in this type of cells.

Antioxidant, Anti-Melanogenic and Anti-Wrinkle Effects of Phellinus vaninii

In this study, the antioxidant, anti-xanthine oxidase, anti-melanogenic and anti-wrinkle effects of methanol (ME) and hot water (HE) extracts from the fruiting bodies of Phellinus vaninii were investigated. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl free radical scavenging activity of 2.0 mg/mL HE (95.38%) was comparable to that of butylated hydroxytoluene (96.97%), the reference standard. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of ME (98.19%) and HE (97.55%) were higher than that of butylated hydroxytoluene (92.66%) at 2.0 mg/mL. Neither ME nor HE was cytotoxic to murine melanoma B16-F10 cells at 25-750 µg/mL. Although the xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory effects of ME and HE were significantly lower than that of allopurinol, the values were higher than 84 percent. The in vitro tyrosinase inhibitory activities of ME and HE were comparable to kojic acid at 2.0 mg/mL. The cellular tyrosinase and melanin synthetic activities of ME and HE on B16-F10 melanoma cells at 500 µg/mL were higher than arbutin, indicating that the inhibitory effects of arbutin on the tyrosinase and melanin synthesis were higher than those of ME and HE. The collagenase inhibitory activity of HE was comparable to EGCG at 2.0 mg/mL, however, the elastase inhibitory activity of ME and HE was lower than EGCG at the concentration tested. The study results demonstrated that the fruiting bodies of Ph. vaninii possessed good antioxidant, anti-xanthine oxidase, cell-free anti-tyrosinase, cellular anti-tyrosinase, anti-collagenase, and moderate anti-elastase activities, which might be used for the development of novel anti-gout, skin-whitening, and skin anti-wrinkle agents.

Sesquiterpenes from an Eastern African Medicinal Mushroom Belonging to the Genus Sanghuangporus

During the course of searching for new anti-infective and other biologically active secondary metabolites from Kenyan basidiomycetes, 13 previously undescribed metabolites, (6 R,7 S,10 R)-7,10-epoxy-7,11-dimethyldodec-1-ene-6,11-diol (1) and 12 sesquiterpenes named elgonenes A-L (2-13), and the known compound P-coumaric acid (14) were isolated from a basidiomycete collected in Mount Elgon Natural Reserve. The producing organism represents a new species of the genus Sanghuangporus, which is one of the segregates of the important traditional Asian medicinal mushrooms that were formerly known as the " Inonotus linteus" complex. The structure elucidation of compounds 1-13, based on 2D NMR spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and other spectral methods, and their antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activities are reported.

A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Phellinus linteus

Phellinus linteus is a popular medicinal mushroom that is widely used in China, Korea, Japan, and other Asian countries. P. linteus comprises various bioactive components, such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and furans, and has proven to be an effective therapeutic agent in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment and the prevention of various diseases. A number of studies have reported that P. linteus possesses many biological activities useful for pharmacological applications, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidative, and antifungal activities, as well as antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects. This review article briefly presents the recent progress made in understanding the bioactive components, biological activities, pharmacological applications, safety, and prospects of P. linteus, and provides helpful references and promising directions for further studies of P. linteus.

Introducing a novel mushroom from mycophagy community with emphasis on biomedical potency

Mushrooms have been prized by humankind as medicine and culinary wonder since antiquity. Though several species are ethnically valued; many prospective species are still being discovered. One such wild macrofungus has recently been discovered during subsequent field surveys in West Bengal, India which in turn exposed as a traditionally consumed popular myco-food. The collected taxon was found to be unique with regard to its morphological as well as genetical features. After detailed characterizations, the fungus was identified as a novel taxon belonging to the genus Russula (Russulaceae, Basidiomycota). Besides, the investigation was further extended in search of new functional ingredients and in this context, a water soluble crude polysaccharide rich extract (Rusalan) was isolated from dried basidiocarps. Accumulating evidences from GC-MS, HPTLC, FT-IR along with several spectrophotometric methods postulated that the fraction consisted mainly of carbohydrate in triple helical conformation, where glucose was the major monosaccharide mostly with β-type glycosidic linkage. Conversely, Rusalan showed pronounced antioxidant activity in six in vitro assay systems with EC₅₀ value ranging from 190–1328 μg/ml concentration. The crude polysaccharide was also evaluated against six bacterial strains using microdilution method and the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis were found to be inhibited effectively. In addition, immune-stimulatory assays demonstrated that Rusalan could evidently promote proliferation, induce phagocytosis, release NO, produce intracellular ROS and upregulate mRNA expression of iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2, as well as IL-6 genes in in mouse macrophage cells. Therefore, aim of the present study was not only to describe a new taxon to the world mycoflora but also to introduce a potent therapeutic agent that could be explored for food and pharmaceutical purposes. However, isolation of active component and in vivo studies need to be designed further.

Advances in antitumor polysaccharides from phellinus sensu lato: Production, isolation, structure, antitumor activity, and mechanisms

Edible and medicinal fungi (mushrooms) are widely applied to functional foods and nutraceutical products because of their proven nutritive and medicinal properties. Phellinus sensu lato is a well-known medicinal mushroom that has long been used in preventing ailments, including gastroenteric dysfunction, diarrhea, hemorrhage, and cancers, in oriental countries, particularly in China, Japan, and Korea. Polysaccharides represent a major class of bioactive molecules in Phellinus s. l., which have notable antitumor, immunomodulatory, and medicinal properties. Polysaccharides that were isolated from fruiting bodies, cultured mycelia, and filtrates of Phellinus s. l. have not only activated different immune responses of the host organism but have also directly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis. Studies suggest that polysaccharides from Phellinus s. l. are promising alternative anticancer agents or synergizers for existing antitumor drugs. This review summarizes the recent development of polysaccharides from Phellinus s. l., including polysaccharide production, extraction and isolation methods, chemical structure, antitumor activities, and mechanisms of action.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Sanghuangporus sanghuang Mycelium

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by inflammation of the lung tissue and oxidative injury caused by excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Studies have suggested that anti-inflammatory or antioxidant agents could be used for the treatment of ALI with a good outcome. Therefore, our study aimed to test whether the mycelium extract of Sanghuangporus sanghuang (SS-1), believed to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, could be used against the excessive inflammatory response associated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced ALI in mice and to investigate its possible mechanism of action. The experimental results showed that the administration of SS-1 could inhibit LPS-induced inflammation. SS-1 could reduce the number of inflammatory cells, inhibit myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, regulate the TLR4/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and the signal transduction of NF-κB and MAPK pathways in the lung tissue, and inhibit high mobility group box-1 protein 1 (HNGB1) activity in BALF. In addition, SS-1 could affect the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and Thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) in the lung tissue and regulate signal transduction in the KRAB-associated protein-1 (KAP1)/nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor Nrf2/Kelch Like ECH associated Protein 1 (Keap1) pathway. Histological results showed that administration of SS-1 prior to induction could inhibit the large-scale LPS-induced neutrophil infiltration of the lung tissue. Therefore, based on all experimental results, we propose that SS-1 exhibits a protective effect against LPS-induced ALI in mice. The mycelium of S. sanghuang can potentially be used for the treatment or prevention of inflammation-related diseases.

Anti-inflammatory activity of Sanghuangporus sanghuang by suppressing the TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR/IKKβ signaling pathway

Sanghuangporus sanghuang (SS) is a mushroom that belongs to the genus Sanghuangporus and it is commonly called “Sangwhang” in Taiwan.

Evaluation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities of ethanol extracts from different varieties of Sanghuang species

Sanghuangporus sanghuang is a rare fungal species that grows on wild mulberry trees, and its yield is much lower than that of valuable medicinal herbs.

Ultrasonic effects on the degradation kinetics, preliminary characterization and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Phellinus linteus mycelia

In this study, a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide PL-N isolated from the alkaline extract of Phellinus linteus mycelia was degraded by ultrasound. Results showed that ultrasound treatment at different ultrasonic intensities decreased the intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight of PL-N, as well as narrowed the molecular weight distribution. A larger reduction in intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight was caused by a higher ultrasonic intensity. The degradation kinetics model was fitted to (1/Mt-1/M0)=k·t, and the reaction rate constant (k) increased with increasing ultrasonic intensity. Ultrasound degradation did not change the primary structure of PL-N, and scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the morphology of the original PL-N was different from that of degraded PL-N fractions. Antioxidant activity assays in vitro indicated that the degraded PL-N fraction with low molecular weight had stronger hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity and higher TEAC and FRAP values.