Insights into Ganoderma fungi meroterpenoids opening a new era of racemic natural products in mushrooms

Abstract

Ganoderma meroterpenoids (GMs) containing 688 structures to date were discovered to have multiple remarkable biological activities. 65.6% of meroterpenoids featuring stereogenic centers from Ganoderma species are racemates. Further, GMs from different Ganoderma species seem to have their own characteristics. In this review, a comprehensive summarization of GMs since 2000 is presented, including GM structures, structure corrections, biological activities, physicochemical properties, total synthesis, and proposed biosynthetic pathways. Additionally, we especially discuss the racemic nature, species‐related structural distribution, and structure–activity relationship of GMs, which will provide a likely in‐house database and shed light on future studies on GMs.

Ganoderma lucidum-Derived Meroterpenoids Show Anti-Inflammatory Activity In Vitro

“…In addition, some other constituents such as alkaloids and sterols were also revealed [ 2 , 5 ]. Ganoderma meroterpenoids (GMs), the third most studied component with over 680 meroterpenoids beyond polysaccharides and triterpenoids, were first obtained in 2000 and have gained further attention since 2013, when lingzhiols were reported [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. The basic structure of GMs is formed of two units: (A) a p -dihydroxybenzene and (B) a terpene moiety.…”

“…The basic structure of GMs is formed of two units: (A) a p -dihydroxybenzene and (B) a terpene moiety. These basic structure moieties could be independent or attached to another GM or other categories of structures to form structurally diverse GMs [ 8 ]. According to the number of carbon atoms contained in their side chains and the combinations with different additional moieties, GMs are divided into six categories: (1) ones with two isoprene units as side chains; (2) ones with three isoprene units as side chains; (3) dimers; (4) meroterpenoid– p -coumaric acid hybrids; (5) meroterpenoid–triterpenoid hybrids; and (6) meroterpenoid alkaloids [ 8 ].…”

“…These basic structure moieties could be independent or attached to another GM or other categories of structures to form structurally diverse GMs [ 8 ]. According to the number of carbon atoms contained in their side chains and the combinations with different additional moieties, GMs are divided into six categories: (1) ones with two isoprene units as side chains; (2) ones with three isoprene units as side chains; (3) dimers; (4) meroterpenoid– p -coumaric acid hybrids; (5) meroterpenoid–triterpenoid hybrids; and (6) meroterpenoid alkaloids [ 8 ]. Some members of the GMs possess biological properties such as antimicrobial [ 9 , 16 ], anti-allergic [ 17 ], renal-protective [ 18 ], antioxidant [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], antidiabetic [ 23 , 24 ], obesity-inhibitory [ 25 ], T-type calcium channel-blocking [ 26 ], 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase-inhibitory, α-glucosidase-inhibitory [ 27 ], acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibitory [ 28 ], inflammation-suppressive [ 29 , 30 ], and tumor-suppressive activities [ 22 ], whereas the action mechanisms involved in GMs mainly focus on their inhibition of inflammation, tumors, and diabetes [ 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”