Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.1
4.3
Journals
Pharmaceuticals
Special Issues
Natural Products Derived from Fungi and Their Biological Activities
share announcement

Natural Products Derived from Fungi and Their Biological Activities

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2025) | Viewed by 6714

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Katarzyna J. Kała

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
Interests: medicinal mushrooms; mycelial cultures; biotechnology; bioactive compounds; pro-health activity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal fungi are products that have been present in human life for centuries. On the one hand, mushrooms were appreciated for their flavor, aroma, and nutritional potential, while on the other hand they were a source of bioactive substances and were used as medicines. In recent years, due to the development of analytical techniques, more and more properties of fungi are being recognized and their specific mechanisms of action are being determined. It has been proven that fungi exhibit a number of activities, including antioxidant, immunostimulating, antimicrobial, anti-atherosclerotic, or anti-inflammatory effects. Despite the numerous reports on fungi, there is a constant need for new works on a broad and comprehensive analysis of such natural products, so that they can be used in the prevention and treatment of diseases.

This Special Issue covers any aspect connected to medicinal fungi, brief reports, communications, research articles, as well as reviews.

Dr. Katarzyna J. Kała
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fungi
  • medicinal fungi
  • fruiting bodies
  • mycelial cultures
  • bioactive compounds
  • pro-health activity
  • mushroom products
  • natural therapy
  • natural medicines

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 2696 KiB  
Article
Isolation of Ten New Sesquiterpenes and New Abietane-Type Diterpenoid with Immunosuppressive Activity from Marine Fungus Eutypella sp.
by Nina Wang, Chunmei Chen, Qin Li, Qiqiang Liang, Yingjie Liu, Zongze Shao, Xiupian Liu and Qun Zhou
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(5), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18050737 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 117
Abstract
Background: Ten new sesquiterpenes, including eight eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes (1–8) and two compounds (9–10) with a cyclopentane ring, representing an undescribed subtype of sesquiterpene, along with a new abietane-type diterpenoid (11), were isolated [...] Read more.
Background: Ten new sesquiterpenes, including eight eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes (1–8) and two compounds (9–10) with a cyclopentane ring, representing an undescribed subtype of sesquiterpene, along with a new abietane-type diterpenoid (11), were isolated and identified from a deep-sea-derived fungus: Eutypella sp. Methods: Their structures were elucidated on the basis of various spectroscopic analyses, mainly including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS) data, 13C NMR calculations with DP4+ probability analyses, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. Results: Furthermore, compound 11 exhibited potent immunosuppressive activity with IC50 values of 8.99 ± 1.08 μM in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model and 5.39 ± 0.20 μM in a concanavalin A (ConA) model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products Derived from Fungi and Their Biological Activities)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3535 KiB  
Article
Identification of Novel Progesterone Receptor (PR) Inhibitors (Homo sapiens) from Metabolites of Biotransformation Fungal: A Bioinformatics Approach
by Janaína de Araújo E. Dourado, Samuel Q. Lopes, David Esteban Q. Jimenez, Ryan S. Ramos and Irlon M. Ferreira
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(2), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18020136 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 836
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Steroids have demonstrated selective cytotoxic properties against tumor cells. The pro-gesterone receptor (PR) plays a vital role in the proliferation, cell differentiation, and maintenance of female reproductive tissue, and its malfunction can lead to breast cancer. The use of the biocatalytic [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Steroids have demonstrated selective cytotoxic properties against tumor cells. The pro-gesterone receptor (PR) plays a vital role in the proliferation, cell differentiation, and maintenance of female reproductive tissue, and its malfunction can lead to breast cancer. The use of the biocatalytic method by filamentous fungi has sparked interest in the obtained of steroids due to the advantages of the process. Methods: Pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties (rat and mouse), molecular docking simulation studies, and prediction of the spectrum of biological activity were performed to select molecules with the potential for PR inhibition, from 155 biotransformed products of the progesterone. Subsequently, the chemical structures were subjected to an evaluation of their pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties and, with the application of ADMET filters. Results: Androstenedione, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and dihydrotestosterone, obtained by the process of biotransformation of PR by different filamentous fungi, showed good pharmacokinetic profiles and low toxicity compared to the control groups. The in-silico data associated with molecular docking studies revealed the best binding affinity and similarity in the interactions of these molecules against the human progesterone receptor target. Thus, the results of biological activity spectrum prediction highlight the great potential to investigate the role of molecular descriptors in the attribution of anti-cancer activities. Conclusions: The biocatalytic process, by filamentous fungi, can provide important molecules as a product of progesterone biotransformation, such as androstenedione, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and dihydrotestosterone. In this study we showed that these molecules have good pharmacokinetic profiles and low toxicity for antineoplastic activity (breast cancer). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products Derived from Fungi and Their Biological Activities)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

27 pages, 18799 KiB  
Article
Effect of Mn(II) and Co(II) on Anti-Candida Metabolite Production by Aspergillus sp. an Endophyte Isolated from Dizygostemon riparius (Plantaginaceae)
by Anne Karoline Maiorana Santos, Bianca Araújo dos Santos, Josivan Regis Farias, Sebastião Vieira de Morais, Cleydlenne Costa Vasconcelos, Rosane Nassar Meireles Guerra, Edson Rodrigues-Filho, Alberto Jorge Oliveira Lopes and Antônio José Cantanhede Filho
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(12), 1678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17121678 - 12 Dec 2024
Viewed by 716
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the effect of Mn(II) and Co(II) ions on the production of anti-Candida metabolites by the endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp., isolated from Dizygostemon riparius. The objective was to identify metal-induced secondary metabolites with antifungal potential against drug-resistant [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the effect of Mn(II) and Co(II) ions on the production of anti-Candida metabolites by the endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp., isolated from Dizygostemon riparius. The objective was to identify metal-induced secondary metabolites with antifungal potential against drug-resistant Candida species. Methods: Aspergillus sp. was cultivated in Czapek agar supplemented with MnCl₂ (400 µM) or CoCl₂ (200 µM). Metabolite profiles were analyzed using UHPLC-DAD and LC-ESI-HRMS, followed by structural elucidation via NMR. Antifungal and biofilm inhibition activities were tested against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. Toxicity was assessed using Tenebrio molitor larvae. Results: Key metabolites, including pyrophen, penicillquei B, and fonsecinone B, demonstrated antifungal activity with MIC values of 4.37–280.61 µg/mL. Fonsecinone B exhibited superior biofilm inhibition, surpassing fluconazole in reducing biofilm biomass and viability. In vivo assays showed low toxicity, with survival rates above 80% at 2× MIC/kg. Conclusions: Mn(II) and Co(II) significantly modulated the production of antifungal metabolites in Aspergillus sp. Fonsecinone B emerged as a promising candidate for antifungal therapy due to its potent activity and low toxicity. These findings support further investigation into the therapeutic potential of metal-induced fungal metabolites for combating drug-resistant Candida infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products Derived from Fungi and Their Biological Activities)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 681 KiB  
Article
Coffee with Cordyceps militaris and Hericium erinaceus Fruiting Bodies as a Source of Essential Bioactive Substances
by Katarzyna Kała, Małgorzata Cicha-Jeleń, Kamil Hnatyk, Agata Krakowska, Katarzyna Sułkowska-Ziaja, Agnieszka Szewczyk, Jan Lazur and Bożena Muszyńska
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(7), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17070955 - 17 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4153
Abstract
Drinking coffee is a daily routine for many people. Supplement manufacturers have proposed adding powdered Cordyceps militaris, known for its ergogenic and immunostimulating properties, and Hericium erinaceus, known for its nerve growth factor (NGF)-stimulating properties, to coffee. The aim of this [...] Read more.
Drinking coffee is a daily routine for many people. Supplement manufacturers have proposed adding powdered Cordyceps militaris, known for its ergogenic and immunostimulating properties, and Hericium erinaceus, known for its nerve growth factor (NGF)-stimulating properties, to coffee. The aim of this work was to compare the bioactive substances in three types of coffee: machine-brewed, instant, and traditionally brewed, prepared with the addition of H. erinaceus and C. militaris fruiting bodies. The analysis of bioactive substances was performed using AAS and RP-HPLC methods. Among the control samples of coffee, traditionally brewed coffee was the best source of bioelements. Considering the mushroom species tested, the best additional source of Mg, Zn, Cu, Na, K, and Ca was C. militaris. A slightly higher Fe content was determined for H. erinaceus. With the addition of C. militaris, the amounts of 4-feruloylquinic acid (18.6 mg/200 mL) and 3,5-di-caffeoylquinic acid (3.76 mg/200 mL) also increased. In conclusion, the C. militaris species has been proven to be a better source of bioactive substances as a coffee additive in the daily diet. The combination of brewed coffee and the tested mushrooms seems to be the most beneficial in terms of health-promoting effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products Derived from Fungi and Their Biological Activities)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop