Activities and metabolomics of Cordyceps gunnii under different culture conditions

Abstract

Many active metabolites have been identified from various species of the fungal genus Cordyceps. A predominant species of this genus is Cordyceps gunnii, but there are limited reports on the active ingredients from this species. This study aimed to conduct activity assays and metabolome analysis on extracts of C. gunnii obtained under different culture conditions. Five different solid media were selected to culture the mycelium of C. gunnii and the metabolites were extracted with organic solvents; concurrently, the wild stroma and host complexes of C. gunnii were extracted by ethyl acetate. Extracts were subsequently assayed for various biological activities and were analyzed by untargeted metabolomics. There were significant differences in the activities and metabolites of C. gunnii extracts from different culture conditions and from wild stroma and host complexes. The extracts of stroma and host complexes and mycelia cultured on WGA medium for 21 days exhibited similar effective inhibitory activity against five cell lines. A total of 51 metabolites were annotated and included various structural types. The literatures indicate that most of the identified compounds have a variety of different biological activities. These findings provide the basis for further systematic excavation of C. gunnii and improved utilization of this fungal species.

Secondary metabolites and their bioactivities from Paecilomyces gunnii YMF1.00003

“…Consequently, researchers have focused on exploring the activities and components of their anamorphs. In a previous study, we screened P. gunnii YMF1.00003 under different culture conditions through the conduct of metabolome analysis and activity comparison and found that the fermentation extract of the mycelium in WGA was similar to the extract of stroma and host complexes and had obvious cytotoxic activity ( Qu et al, 2022 ). Therefore, we further examined the metabolites and activities of P. gunnii YMF1.00003 fermented in two different media.…”

“…The wild stroma and host complexes of Cordyceps fungus have been a focal point of research, but their scarcity has led researchers to concentrate on clonal mycelium. In the initial stages, we evaluated the Paecilomyces gunnii extracts under different culture conditions and from the wild stroma and host complexes through the performance of a metabolome analysis and identified the culture conditions for producing metabolites with enhanced cytotoxic activity ( Qu et al, 2022 ). In the present study, fermentation was conducted under screened culture conditions to yield active natural products.…”

“…This suggests the presence of a large number of potentially active compounds with novel structures that are concealed within these “silent” gene clusters and yet to be identified ( Nielsen et al, 2017 ; Kjærbolling et al, 2019 ). The current study is based on a previous one stain-many compounds (OSMAC) strategy and the isolation and identification of promising compounds under optimized culture conditions ( Qu et al, 2022 ). In recent years, the OSMAC strategy has proven successful in isolating compounds with novel structures and diverse activities from fungi ( Bode et al, 2002 ).…”

“…Cordyceps , a fungus known for parasitizing insects, fungi, and plants ( Qu et al, 2022 ), gained historical recognition during the Qing Dynasty, with Cordyceps sinensis emerging as the most well-known species documented in Bencao Beiyao. An in-depth study of its pharmacological properties revealed immunomodulatory functions and a significant impact on antitumor effects, organ transplantation, and heart disease ( Kuo et al, 1996 ).…”

“…In this study, we aimed to examine the chemical structures of four new polyketides and seven known compounds isolated from P. gunnii YMF1.00003 cultivated in two types of media ( Figure 1 ). Based on the results of a previous study ( Qu et al, 2022 ), extensive literature research, and the prediction of compound structure targets, we conducted assays on select compounds to assess their cytotoxic activity and protein kinase Cα inhibitory activity.…”