11α-hydroxylated derivatives of lithocholic acid produced by microbial biotransformation and their anti-aging effects

Seven 11α-hydroxylated lithocholic acid (LCA) derivatives were produced via catalytic biotransformation by Aspergillus ochraceus CGMCC 3.5324, including four previously unreported compounds. All isolates were structurally elucidated using NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI-MS analyses. A. ochraceus efficiently catalyzed multiple structural modifications on the LCA skeleton, including hydroxylation, methyl esterification, and acetylation, thereby expanding the structural diversity of LCA derivatives. Furthermore, the anti-aging activities of these biotransformed metabolites were evaluated in a Caenorhabditis elegans model by measuring lifespan and locomotor behavior. Most transformed derivatives exhibited superior anti-aging potency relative to the parent LCA. Methyl and acetyl modifications markedly improved nematode lifespan and locomotor performance, while C-12β hydroxylation reduced the bioactivity of LCA derivatives. These findings demonstrate that microbial biotransformation is a robust strategy for the structural diversification and bioactivity optimization of LCA.