Screening and identifying natural products with SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitory activity from medicinal fungi

The coronavirus disease of 2019(COVID‐19),a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS‐CoV‐2),can result in severe health complications.In addition to physical preventative measures,pharmaceutical intervention is also crucial.Numerous natural products from medicinal fungi have shown promise as potential antiviral drugs and may serve as a source of effective components with antiviral activity against SARS‐CoV‐2 and other coronaviruses.In this study,we developed a workflow that integrates viral infection inhibition assays at both cellular and molecular levels,as well as molecular separation and characterization,to screen and identify natural products with antiviral activity.Using this workflow,we screened 167 extracts extracted from 36 medicinal fungi using optimized extraction methods.We assessed the antiviral effects of these extracts by measuring their ability to inhibit SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and receptor binding domain‐human angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2(RBD‐hACE2)binding in vitro.Following charge‐and size‐based characterization of the active compounds through filtration and chromatographic fractionation,mass spectrometry characterization of the fractionated compounds revealed that the active components are polysaccharides and determined their monosaccharide residue composition.Our findings provide new insights into the antiviral potential of natural products and their screening strategies and may contribute to the development of effective antiviral therapeutics against COVID‐19 and other diseases.

Potential pharmaceutical resources of the Qinling Mountain in central China:medicinal fungi

The present investigation on fungal diversity shows that there were rich fungal resources of up to 196 species,belonging to 41 families and 90 genera,in the Qinling Mountainous Range of central China.The dominant families were Polyporaceae,Russulaceae,Tricholomatacea and Lycoperdaceae,which comprised 107 species,54.59%of the total species.The dominant genera were Russula,Lactarius,Trametes,Phellinus,Coprinus,Lycoperdon,Suillu,and Calvatia,which consisted of 59 species,30.09%of the total species.According to the geographical characteristics,the genera were grouped into:cosmopolitan element(74.98%),pantropical element(3.57%),tropical element(1.02%)and north temperate element(21.43%),with the cosmopolitan element constituting the majority.Among these,the cosmopolitan and North Temperate Zone were characteristic of this region.Based on relevant literature review,the primary pharmaceutical action of the medicinal fungi in Qinling Mountain can be classified as follows:anti-cancer,anti-bacteria,anti-inflammation,relief of muscle rigidity and activation of collaterals,hemostasis,immunological regulation,as well as nourishing the stomach and tonification which means enhancing the body system.

Biological Active Components of Selected Medical Fungi

According to official data, about 2000 mushrooms belong to the category of medical mushrooms, while over 600 have already confirmed medical properties. The aim and task of this work were to collect, analyze and process scientific and expert data of biologically active components of selected Basidiomycetes fungi: Letinula edodes, Ganoderma Lucidum, Grifola frondosa, Trametes versicolor and Inonotus obliquus. Areas of fungi therapy and the search for new immunomodulatory agents are far from being restricted to these species alone, however, these five may serve as typical representatives of widespread medicinal fungi used in both traditional medicine and modern biomedical research. Their biologically active components have different pharmacological effects, and beta-glucan polysaccharides, which are recognized as immunomodulators, are of particular importance. Many of the fungal beta-glucans tested have switched to pharmaceuticals such as Lentinan, Sonifilan, Krestin and GanoPoly, which speaks to their pharmacological and research potential. Citing the results of scientific advances in the last two decades, the results of preclinical tests and the results of clinical studies can confirm that supplementation with medical fungi can increase treatment success or mitigate the negative side effects of different therapies. A long-term weakened immune system is a risk factor for malignancies, so it can be concluded that disease prevention is beneficial for each individual and deserves the same attention paid to treating the disease.

The protoplast two-way fusions and fusant characteristics of Antrodia cinnamomea and Cordyceps militaris

This study generated two fused protoplasts of Antrodia cinnamomea and Cordyceps militaris in two ways.The protoplasts of A.cinnamomea were inactivated by heat to inactivate biochemical processes and enzymatic activities in the cytoplasm,and the protoplasts of C.militaris were inactivated by UV radiation to invalidate their genome function,then they were fused under optimal conditions to get a fusion rate as(7.42±0.8)×10^(-6) fusants/mL;the new fusants were abbreviated as Ac-Cm.On the other hand,when A.cinnamomea and C.militaris were treated with heat and UV oppositely using similar experiments,the fusion rate was(9.70±0.68)×10^(-5) fusants/mL,and the new fusants were abbreviated as Cm-Ac.We selected each of two best-growing fused colonies Ac-Cm-1,Ac-Cm-2,Cm-Ac-1,and Cm-Ac-2,together with parental A.cinnamomea and C.militaris,and studied their morphology,growth antagonism tests,and genetic relationships by 18 S rRNA sequencing.In comparison with the initial cultures of 4 fusants,the yields of adenosine,biomass,cordycepic acid,cordycepin,total polysaccharide,and total triterpenoids were increased up 1.305-50.1563 times in the optimal medium conditions.For gene stability tests,those of the four fusants and their outputs were stabilized within 10 generations.

Use of a Bioaugmented Organic Soil Amendment in Combination with Gypsum for Withania somnifera Growth on Sodic Soil

Limited availability of organic matter is a problem to sustain crop growth on sodic soil. Organic soil amendments are a costeffective source of nutrients to enhance crop growth. A field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an organic soil amendment bioaugmented with plant growth-promoting fungi(SF_(OA) ) in combination with gypsum on soil properties and growth and yield attributes of Withania somnifera, one of the most valuable crops of the traditional medicinal system in the world, on a sodic soil at the Aurawan Research Farm of CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India. The SF_(OA) used was prepared by pre-enriching farm waste vermicompost with plant growth-promoting fungi before mixing with pressmud and Azadirachta indica seed cake. The application of SF_(OA) at 10 Mg ha^(-1)after gypsum(25.0 Mg ha^(-1)) treatment significantly(P < 0.05) increased root length(by 96%) and biomass(by 125%) of Withania plants compared to the control without SF_(OA) and gypsum. Similarly, the highest withanolide contents were observed in leaves and roots of Withania plants under 10 Mg ha^(-1)SF_(OA) and gypsum. Combined application of SF_(OA) and gypsum also improved physical, chemical and enzymatic properties of the soil, with the soil bulk density decreasing by 25%, water-holding capacity increasing by 121%, total organic C increasing by 90%, p H decreasing by 17% and alkaline phosphatase, β-glucosidase, dehydrogenase and cellulase activities increasing by 54%, 128%, 81% and 96%, respectively, compared to those of the control. These showed that application of the SF_(OA) tested in this study might reclaim sodic soil and further support Withania cultivation and results were better when the SF_(OA) was applied after gypsum treatment.