Terpenoids from the Chinese liverwort Heteroscyphus coalitus and their anti-virulence activity against Candida albicans

A New Harziane Diterpene, Harziaketal A, and a New Sterol, Trichosterol A, from the Marine-Alga-Epiphytic Trichoderma sp. Z43

One new diterpene, harziaketal A (1), and one new highly degraded sterol, trichosterol A (2), along with three known compounds, including one diterpene, harzianone (3), and two steroids, (22E,24R)-5α,6α-epoxy-ergosta-8(14),22-dien-3β,7α-diol (4) and isoergokonin B (5), were isolated from the culture of the marine-alga-epiphytic fungus Trichoderma sp. Z43 by silica gel column chromatography (CC), Sephadex LH-20 CC, and preparative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Their structures and relative configurations were assigned by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) data, and the absolute configuration of 1 was established by X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 features a hemiketal unit situated at the four-membered ring of harziane-type diterpenes for the first time, while 2 represents the rare occurrence of sterols with rings A and B being degraded. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed weak inhibition against the tested phytoplankton (Amphidinium carterae, Heterocapsa circularisquama, Heterosigma akashiwo, and Prorocentrum donghaiense) with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) ranging from 14 to 53 μg/mL.

Ent-eudesmane sesquiterpenoids from the Chinese liverwort Chiloscyphus polyanthus

- Seven previously undescribed ent-eudesmane sesquiterpenoids (1-7), as well as seven known analogs (8-14), were isolated from the Chinese liverwort Chiloscyphus polyanthus var. rivularis. Their structures were established based on comprehensive spectroscopy analysis, electronic circular dichroism calculations, as well as biosynthetic considerations. The cytotoxicity against HepG2 (Human hepatocellular carcinomas) cancer cell line, and antifungal activity against Candida albicans SC5314 of all isolated ent-eudesmane sesquiterpenoids were preliminarily tested, results showed that the tested compounds did not display obvious cytotoxicity and antifungal activities under the tested concentration.

Diterpenes Specially Produced by Fungi: Structures, Biological Activities, and Biosynthesis (2010–2020)

Fungi have traditionally been a very rewarding source of biologically active natural products, while diterpenoids from fungi, such as the cyathane-type diterpenoids from Cyathus and Hericium sp., the fusicoccane-type diterpenoids from Fusicoccum and Alternaria sp., the guanacastane-type diterpenoids from Coprinus and Cercospora sp., and the harziene-type diterpenoids from Trichoderma sp., often represent unique carbon skeletons as well as diverse biological functions. The abundances of novel skeletons, biological activities, and biosynthetic pathways present new opportunities for drug discovery, genome mining, and enzymology. In addition, diterpenoids peculiar to fungi also reveal the possibility of differing biological evolution, although they have similar biosynthetic pathways. In this review, we provide an overview about the structures, biological activities, evolution, organic synthesis, and biosynthesis of diterpenoids that have been specially produced by fungi from 2010 to 2020. We hope this review provides timely illumination and beneficial guidance for future research works of scholars who are interested in this area.

Pinguisane Sesquiterpenoids from the Chinese Liverwort Trocholejeunea sandvicensis and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Nine new pinguisane sesquiterpenoid compounds, 1-9, including a highly oxygenated compound (1) and two amides (7 and 8), along with three known compounds (10, 11, and 12), were isolated from the Chinese liverwort Trocholejeunea sandvicensis Mizut (Lejeuneaceae). The structures of these compounds were determined by analysis of IR, UV, HRESIMS, NMR spectroscopic data, electronic circular dichroism calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Inhibitory effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages indicated that the maximum inhibition rates of NO production of compounds 1, 9, and 10 were 83.15%, 83.54%, and 96.28% under the nontoxic tested concentration, respectively. Compound 9 also displayed moderate anti-inflammatory activity in vivo in a CuSO₄-induced transgenic zebrafish model.

Novel Harziane Diterpenes from Deep-Sea Sediment Fungus Trichoderma sp. SCSIOW21 and Their Potential Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Five undescribed harziane-type diterpene derivatives, namely harzianol K (1), harzianol L (4), harzianol M (5), harzianol N (6), harzianol O (7), along with two known compounds, hazianol J (2) and harzianol A (3) were isolated from the deep-sea sediment-derived fungus Trichoderma sp. SCSIOW21. The relative configurations were determined by meticulous spectroscopic methods including 1D, 2D NMR spectroscopy, and HR-ESI-MS. The absolute configurations were established by the ECD curve calculations and the X-ray crystallographic analysis. These compounds (1, and 4–7) contributed to increasing the diversity of the caged harziane type diterpenes with highly congested skeleton characteristics. Harzianol J (2) exhibited a weak anti-inflammatory effect with 81.8% NO inhibition at 100 µM.

Fungal Biofilms as a Valuable Target for the Discovery of Natural Products That Cope with the Resistance of Medically Important Fungi-Latest Findings

The development of new antifungal agents that target biofilms is an urgent need. Natural products, mainly from the plant kingdom, represent an invaluable source of these entities. The present review provides an update (2017-May 2021) on the available information on essential oils, propolis, extracts from plants, algae, lichens and microorganisms, compounds from different natural sources and nanosystems containing natural products with the capacity to in vitro or in vivo modulate fungal biofilms. The search yielded 42 articles; seven involved essential oils, two Brazilian propolis, six plant extracts and one of each, extracts from lichens and algae/cyanobacteria. Twenty articles deal with the antibiofilm effect of pure natural compounds, with 10 of them including studies of the mechanism of action and five dealing with natural compounds included in nanosystems. Thirty-seven manuscripts evaluated Candida spp. biofilms and two tested Fusarium and Cryptococcus spp. Only one manuscript involved Aspergillus fumigatus. From the data presented here, it is clear that the search of natural products with activity against fungal biofilms has been a highly active area of research in recent years. However, it also reveals the necessity of deepening the studies by (i) evaluating the effect of natural products on biofilms formed by the newly emerged and worrisome health-care associated fungi, C. auris, as well as on other non-albicans Candida spp., Cryptococcus sp. and filamentous fungi; (ii) elucidating the mechanisms of action of the most active natural products; (iii) increasing the in vivo testing.

Recent progress on anti-Candida natural products

Candida is an intractable life-threatening pathogen. Candida infection is extremely difficult to eradicate, and thus is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Morevover, the rapid spread of drug-resistant fungi has led to significant decreases in the therapeutic effects of clinical drugs. New anti-Candida agents are urgently needed to solve the complicated medical problem. Natural products with intricate structures have attracted great attention of researchers who make every endeavor to discover leading compounds for antifungal agents. Their novel mechanisms and diverse modes of action expand the variety of fungistatic agents and reduce the emergence of drug resistance. In recent decades, considerable effort has been devoted to finding unique antifungal agents from nature and revealing their unusual mechanisms, which results in important progress on the development of new antifungals, such as the novel cell wall inhibitors YW3548 and SCY-078 which are being tested in clinical trials. This review will present a brief summary on the landscape of anti-Candida natural products within the last decade. We will also discuss in-depth the research progress on diverse natural fungistatic agents along with their novel mechanisms.

Tropane alkaloids from the stem bark of Erythroxylum bezerrae

Six previously undescribed tropane alkaloids, designated as erythrobezerrines A-F, were isolated from the EtOH extract from the stem bark of Erythroxylum bezerrae Plowman. Their structures were elucidated based on the interpretation of the NMR and MS data and in some instances, confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was evaluated against the cancer cell lines L929, PC-3, HCT-116, SNB-19 and NCI-H460, but only erythrobezerrine C showed moderate activity with IC₅₀ values of 3.38 and 5.43 μM for HCT-116 and NCI-H460, respectively.

Monoterpene indole alkaloids with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity from the leaves of Rauvolfia vomitoria

Seventeen monoterpene indole alkaloids, including seven new alkaloids (1-7) and ten known analogues (8-17), were isolated and identified from the leaves of R. vomitoria. The structures of new alkaloids were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Rauvomitorine I (1) represents the first example of an unprecedented C₂₂ yohimbine-type monoterpene indole alkaloid featuring a carboxymethyl at C-14. The exceedingly rare vobasenal (2-3) and affinisine oxindole (5-6) framework type alkaloids are first reported from the Rauvolfia genus. Most notably, the structure of vobasenal-type alkaloids (2-3) were first determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Alkaloids 1-17 were tested their cytotoxicity against five cancer cell lines, however, none of them showed significant cytotoxicity at a concentration of 40 μM. All the isolated alkaloids were evaluated their acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. Alkaloid 3 exhibited significant anti-AChE activity with an IC₅₀ value of 16.39 ± 1.41 μM and alkaloids 8 and 10 showed moderate anti-AChE activities whereas the others (2, 9, 13, and 17) were weak inhibitors. This is the first report of vobasenal-type alkaloids as AChE inhibitors, indicating this type of alkaloids may be important sources for the discovery of new AChE inhibitors. A preliminary structure-activity relationship for AChE inhibitory activities showed the presence of the N-methyl group in vobasenal-type alkaloids may be essential for anti-AChE activity. Further molecular docking studies of vobasenal-type alkaloids revealed that interaction with Trp133 and Trp86 residues at hydrophobic subsite are necessary for the AChE inhibitory activities. This study not only enriches the chemical diversity of alkaloids in Apocynaceae plants but also provides new potential leading compounds and versatile scaffolds for the design and development of new AChE inhibitors to treat AD.