H.H. Wen

Bioactive sesquiterpenoids from the solid culture of the edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes growing on cooked rice

The edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes was cultivated on cooked rice. Six new cuparene sesquiterpenes, enokipodins E-J (1-6), and two new sterpurane sesquiterpenes, sterpurols A (10) and B (11), with four known sesquiterpenes, 2,5-cuparadiene-1,4-dione (7), enokipodins B (8) and D (9), and sterpuric acid (12), were isolated from the solid culture of F. velutipes. The structures of new metabolites were elucidated by NMR experiments. The absolute configurations in new compounds were assigned by X-ray crystallographic analysis, the modified Mosher method, and CD data analysis. Bioactivity screening indicated that compounds 5-9 displayed weak antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis; 2, 3, and 5 showed weak antifungal activity against Aspergilus fumigatus; 6-9 showed both moderate cytotoxicity against the human tumor cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, SGC7901, and A549) and antioxidant activity in DPPH scavenging assay. These results suggest that the solid culture of F. velutipes on cooked rice could be a good functional food.

Pleurospiroketals A–E, Perhydrobenzannulated 5,5-Spiroketal Sesquiterpenes from the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus cornucopiae

Five novel perhydrobenzannulated 5,5-spiroketal sesquiterpenes, namely, pleurospiroketals A-E (1-5), were isolated from the culture of the edible mushroom Pleurotus cornucopiae. Pleurospiroketals D (4) and E (5) were obtained as an isomeric mixture with a ratio of 5:4. Their structures were established by NMR, X-ray single-crystal diffraction, and CD data analysis. Pleurospiroketals A-E (1-5) are sesquiterpenoids with a unique benzannulated 5,5-spiroketal skeleton. Compounds 1-3 showed inhibitory activity against nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages with IC(50) values of 6.8, 12.6, and 20.8 μM, respectively.

Terpenoid and phenolic metabolites from the fungus xylaria sp. associated with termite nests.

Three new sesquiterpene acids, xylaric acids A–C (1–3, resp.), and a new tetralone (=3,4‐dihydronaphthalen‐1(2H)‐one) derivative, 4, along with nine known compounds, xylaric acid D (5), hydroheptelidic acid (6), gliocladic acid (7), chlorine heptelidic acid (8), trichoderonic acid A (9), 16‐(α‐D‐mannopyranosyloxy)isopimar‐7‐en‐19‐oic acid (10), 16‐(α‐D‐glucopyranosyloxy)isopimar‐7‐en‐19‐oic acid (11), 5‐carboxymellein (12), and naphthalen‐1,8‐diol 1‐O‐α‐D‐glucopyranoside (13) have been isolated from the solid culture of the ascomycete fungus Xylaria sp. associated with termite nest. The structures of these compounds were elucidated primarily by NMR experiments. The absolute configurations of compounds 1–3 and 5–9 were determined by combination of X‐ray data and CD spectral analysis. The absolute configuration of 4 was assigned by Snatzkes method. Compounds 8 and 11 showed slight cytotoxicities against two cell lines A549 and SGC7901.

Nutritive and bioactive components in rice fermented with the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii

The present research was the first to compare nutritive and bioactive components of Pleurotus eryngii-fermented rice with untreated rice. After fermentation, the total content of crude protein, crude fat, polysaccharides, reducing sugar, and polyphenols was significantly increased in fermented rice. The total content of amino acid in fermented rice was enhanced to 557.71 mg/g in comparison with 258.83 mg/g in non-fermented rice. The content of essential amino acid increased from 79.32 mg/g to 140.36 mg/g. The content of adenosine in fermented rice (175.64 μg/g) is much higher than that of non-fermented rice (14.38 μg/g). In antioxidant assay, the ethanol extract of the P. eryngii-fermented rice showed a strong reducing ability with EC50 value less than 0.25 mg/ml. These results indicated that rice fermented by P. eryngii could be useful as a new functional food.

Superconductivity near a quantum critical point in Ba(Fe1−xCox)2As2

We will examine the possible link between spin fluctuations and the superconducting mechanism in the iron-based high temperature superconductor Ba(Fe1-xCox)(2)As-2 based on NMR and high pressure transport measurements