title: Anti-inflammatory Cerebrosides from Cultivated Cordyceps militaris.
abstract: Cordyceps militaris (bei-chong-chaw, northern worm grass) is a precious and edible entomopathogenic fungus, which is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a general booster for the nervous system, metabolism, and immunity. Saccharides, nucleosides, mannitol, and sterols were isolated from this fungus. The biological activity of C. militaris was attributed to the saccharide and nucleoside contents. In this study, the aqueous methanolic fraction of C. militaris fruiting bodies exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory activity. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the active fraction led to the isolation of eight compounds, including one new and two known cerebrosides (ceramide derivatives), two nucleosides, and three sterols. Cordycerebroside A (1), the new cerebroside, along with soyacerebroside I (2) and glucocerebroside (3) inhibited the accumulation of pro-inflammatory iNOS protein and reduced the expression of COX-2 protein in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. This is the first study on the isolation of cerebrosides with anti-inflammatory activity from this TCM.
authors: Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
authors: Ching-Peng
authors: CP
authors: Chiu
authors: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University , Taichung 404, Taiwan.
authors: Shan-Chi
authors: SC
authors: Liu
authors: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University , Taichung 404, Taiwan.
authors: Chih-Hsin
authors: CH
authors: Tang
authors: Institute of Microbiology, Chung Shan Medical University , Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors: You
authors: Y
authors: Chan
authors: Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain-Shams University , Organization of African Unity Street, Abassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: El-Shazly
authors: Department of Cosmeceutics, China Medical University , Taichung 404, Taiwan.
authors: Chia-Lin
authors: CL
authors: Lee
authors: Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
authors: Ying-Chi
authors: YC
authors: Du
authors: Chinese Medicine Research and Development Center, China Medical University Hospital , Taichung 404, Taiwan.
authors: Tung-Ying
authors: TY
authors: Wu
authors: Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.|Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital , Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.|Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.|Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University , Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
authors: Fang-Rong
authors: FR
authors: Chang
authors: School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University , Taichung 40402, Taiwan.|Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, China Medical University , Taichung 40402, Taiwan.|Chinese Medicine Research and Development Center, China Medical University Hospital , Taichung 40402, Taiwan.|Center of Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital , Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
authors: Yang-Chang
authors: YC
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002554:Cerebrosides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D032661:Cordyceps / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D048690:Fruiting Bodies, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000067996:RAW 264.7 Cells
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002554:Cerebrosides; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse
keywords: Cordyceps militaris; LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages; anti-inflammatory; cerebrosides; fungal fruiting bodies