Four new compounds from the basidiomycete Craterellus odoratus.

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mycology

Background:

• The basidiomycete Craterellus odoratus is a source of diverse secondary metabolites.
• 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) plays a crucial role in metabolic regulation and is a target for treating metabolic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize new chemical entities from Craterellus odoratus.
• To evaluate the biological activities of isolated compounds, focusing on 11β-HSD1 inhibition and cytotoxicity.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
• Structure elucidation of new compounds via extensive spectroscopic analysis (NMR, MS).
• In vitro evaluation of inhibitory activity against human 11β-HSD1 and cytotoxic effects on tumor cell lines.

Main Results:

• Four new compounds (craterellin D, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-phenylethanone, 5-carboxyl-2-[2-(1,2-dihydroxyisopropyl)]-benzofuran, and 6α-hydroxy-3-methoxy-4α-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one) were isolated.
• Compound 5-hydroxymethyl-2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-phenylethanone (2) demonstrated inhibitory activity against human 11β-HSD1 with an IC₅₀ value of 16.4 μg/ml.
• No significant cytotoxic activities were reported for the tested compounds.

Conclusions:

• Craterellus odoratus produces novel chemical structures with potential biological relevance.
• Compound 2 represents a potential lead for the development of 11β-HSD1 inhibitors.
• Further investigation into the mechanism of action and structure-activity relationship of compound 2 is warranted.