Methoxyflavones from New Lingzhi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lingzhi (Agaricomycetes)

Ganoderma lingzhi is one of the most famous medicinal fungi in the world. It has been used in folk medicine, especially in East Asian countries. It is also a white-rot fungus with strong wood degradation ability, especially against lignin. Different classes of bioactive natural products have been reported in Ganoderma, including triterpenes, polysaccharides, sterols, and peptides. The triterpenes and polysaccharides are the primary bioactive compounds of Ganoderma. We report for the first time the presence of 3 methoxyflavones as minor constituents in G. linghzi. The 3 compounds were identified based on different spectroscopic techniques, including 1- and 2-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-1H correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single quantum coherence, and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation) and mass spectrometry (high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry). Our report provides an approach to a possible biosynthetic pathway for biosynthetic genes in the mushrooms. Another great possibility is that these compounds may exist or be formed through degradation of the components in the woody substrate, such as lignin, and then subsequently translocate to the fruiting bodies.