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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Experimental Models to Study the Neuroprotection of Acidic Postconditioning Against Cerebral Ischemia
Published on: July 31, 2017
Deacylated Derivative of Hericenone C Treated by Lipase Shows Enhanced Neuroprotective Properties Compared to Its
Sonam Tamrakar1,2, Dongmei Wang1, Eri Hiraki1
1Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
Abstract:
Hericium erinaceus, a mushroom species commonly known as Yamabushitake in Japan, is known to have a stimulatory effect on neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF). Hericenone C, a meroterpenoid with palmitic acid as the fatty acid side chain, is reported to be one such stimulant. However, according to the structure of the compound, the fatty acid side chain seems highly susceptible to lipase decomposition, under in vivo metabolic conditions. To study this phenomenon, hericenone C from the ethanol extract of the fruiting body was subjected to lipase enzyme treatment and observed for changes in the chemical structure. The compound formed after the lipase enzyme digestion was isolated and identified using LC-QTOF-MS combined with 1H-NMR analysis. It was found to be a derivative of hericenone C without its fatty acid side chain and was named deacylhericenone. Interestingly, a comparative investigation of the neuroprotective properties of hericenone C and deacylhericenone showed that the BDNF mRNA expression in human astrocytoma cells (1321N1) and the protection against H2O2-induced oxidative stress was considerably higher in the case of deacylhericenone. These findings suggest that the stronger bioactive form of the hericenone C compound is in fact deacylhericenone.
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