Planta Med 2019; 85(18): 1418
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3399712
Abstracts of Short Lectures
Short Lectures Tuesday, September 03, 2019
Short Lectures H: Biological and Pharmacological Activities of Natural Products
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Mushrooms – an unrevealed source for promising photopharmaceuticals

B Siewert
1   Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
,
F Hammerle
1   Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
,
I Bingger
2   Management Center Innsbruck, Maximilianstraße 2, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
,
U Peintner
3   Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
,
A Pannwitz
4   Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
,
S Bonnet
4   Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
,
H Stuppner
1   Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
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Publikationsdatum:
20. Dezember 2019 (online)

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A vast array of different pigments causes the splendid colors of mushrooms (Basidiomycetes). While plenty of these colorants are chemically elucidated, their pharmaceutical potential is only partly studied. Based on the structural similarity to well-known photosensitizers (e.g. bisanthrones and anthraquinones) we hypothesized that fruiting bodies of the subgenus dermocyboid Cortinarii are a promising source for new photosensitizers, which can be utilized as photopharmaceuticals.

To test this hypothesis, extracts of dried fruiting bodies of several European dermocyboid Cortinarii were prepared and submitted to a photo-activity screening workflow [1]. In detail, the chemical profile of light-absorbing metabolites was analyzed, the ability to produce singlet oxygen was tested, and the photocytotoxicity was evaluated.

Based on the photo-activity workflow, the most prominent dermocyboid species was selected and several photosensitizers isolated by applying a bioactivity-guided workflow. Chemical analysis disclosed that the most prominent photosensitizer is a biphyscion. While it is non-toxic in the dark, it showed e.g. an EC50 of 0.7 µM under blue light irradiation (468 nm, 9.3 J/cm2) against cells of a lung cancer cell-line (A549).

In sum, starting with a hypothesis based on the structural similarity between well-established photosensitizers and the coloring principles of fruiting bodies we were able to assign a new pharmaceutical activity to selected fungal pigments.

The FWF (Austrian Science Fund project P 31,915, BS), the TWF (Tyrolean Science Fund), and the University of Innsbruck (Nachwuchsförderung,BS) are acknowledged for the financial support.

 

  • References

  • 1 Siewert B, Vrabl P, Hammerle F. et al. A convenient workflow to spot photosensitizers revealed photo-activity in basidiomycetes. RSC Adv 2019; 9: 4545-4552
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