From Mushrooms to Molecules: Exploring Depsidones in Ganoderma lucidum for Antioxidant and Anticancer Applications

Fungi are a prolific source of diverse bioactive metabolites, yet many remain unexplored. Among these, depsidones are a rare class of compounds with significant biological potential, but they are seldom reported in mushrooms. This study investigated the medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum, known for its extensive therapeutic use in traditional medicine. Fruiting bodies were extracted using petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and methanol. Extracts were screened phytochemically and assessed for total phenolic content and antioxidant activity using the DPPH assay. Ethyl acetate extract exhibited the highest phenolic yield and antioxidant potential and was subsequently evaluated for cytotoxicity against HepG2, HCT116, MCF7, and A549 cancer cell lines. It showed notable anticancer activity with minimal toxicity to normal Vero cells. UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis of G. lucidum ethyl acetate extract tentatively identified nine minor depsidones including mollicellin G, simplicildone I, mollicellin B, talaromyone B, simplicildone A, purpactin C, emeguisin B, mollicellin E, and simplicildone D on the basis of high-resolution negative-mode detection and characteristic MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities between these compounds and cancer-related targets (AKT1, CDK2, ERK1, TNFα), with simplicildone D and mollicellin G demonstrating particularly high interactions. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the observed bioactivity and highlight G. lucidum as a promising source of therapeutic depsidones for future anticancer drug development.