Insights into Ganoderma fungi meroterpenoids opening a new era of racemic natural products in mushrooms

Ganoderma meroterpenoids (GMs) containing 688 structures to date were discovered to have multiple remarkable biological activities. 65.6% of meroterpenoids featuring stereogenic centers from Ganoderma species are racemates. Further, GMs from different Ganoderma species seem to have their own characteristics. In this review, a comprehensive summarization of GMs since 2000 is presented, including GM structures, structure corrections, biological activities, physicochemical properties, total synthesis, and proposed biosynthetic pathways. Additionally, we especially discuss the racemic nature, species-related structural distribution, and structure-activity relationship of GMs, which will provide a likely in-house database and shed light on future studies on GMs.

Structural diversity, hypothetical biosynthesis, chemical synthesis, and biological activity of Ganoderma meroterpenoids

Covering: 2018 to 2022Meroterpenoids found in fungal species of the genus Ganoderma and known as Ganoderma meroterpenoids (GMs) are substances composed of a 1,2,4-trisubstituted benzene and a polyunsaturated side chain. These substances have attracted the attention of chemists and pharmacologists due to their diverse structures and significant bioactivity. In this review, we present the structures and possible biosynthesis of representative GMs newly found from 2018 to 2022, as well as chemical synthesis and biological activity of some interesting GMs. We propose for the first time a plausible biosynthetic pathway for GMs, which will certainly motivate further research on the biosynthetic pathway in Ganoderma species, as well as on chemical synthesis of GMs as important bioactive compounds for the purpose of drug development.

Biological activities of meroterpenoids isolated from different sources

Meroterpenoids are natural products synthesized by unicellular organisms such as bacteria and multicellular organisms such as fungi, plants, and animals, including those of marine origin. Structurally, these compounds exhibit a wide diversity depending upon the origin and the biosynthetic pathway they emerge from. This diversity in structural features imparts a wide spectrum of biological activity to meroterpenoids. Based on the biosynthetic pathway of origin, these compounds are either polyketide-terpenoids or non-polyketide terpenoids. The recent surge of interest in meroterpenoids has led to a systematic screening of these compounds for many biological actions. Different meroterpenoids have been recorded for a broad range of operations, such as anti-cholinesterase, COX-2 inhibitory, anti-leishmanial, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, anti-bacterial, antimalarial, anti-viral, anti-obesity, and insecticidal activity. Meroterpenoids also possess inhibitory activity against the expression of nitric oxide, TNF- α, and other inflammatory mediators. These compounds also show renal protective, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective activities. The present review includes literature from 1999 to date and discusses 590 biologically active meroterpenoids, of which 231 are from fungal sources, 212 are from various species of plants, and 147 are from marine sources such as algae and sponges.

Synthetic and Computational Study of the Enantioselective [3+2]-Cycloaddition of Chromones with MBH Carbonates

Highly efficient and straightforward access to enantioenriched five-membered ring-fused chromanones is developed via [3+2]-cycloaddition of 3-cyanochromones with Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates. Densely functionalized chiral cyclopenta[b]chromanones with three continuous quaternary and tertiary stereogenic carbon centers were obtained in high yields with high ee and dr (≤97% yield, 97% ee, and >20:1 dr). Moreover, density functional theory calculations have been carried out to investigate the mechanism and regio- and diastereoselectivity of the reaction.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Oxacycles via Ruthenium-Catalyzed Atom-Economic Coupling of Propargyl Alcohols and Michael Acceptors

Synthesis of β-hydroxyenones and its application toward development of tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-one in an atom-economic fashion is limited. This manuscript describes a ruthenium-catalyzed atom-economic coupling of pent-2-yne-1,5-diols and Michael acceptors as an efficient route for the synthesis of β-hydroxyenones with excellent yields and high regioselectivity. The β-hydroxyenones further undergo a 6-endo trig cyclization under acid-catalyzed conditions to deliver the tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-ones with high diastereoselectivity. An intramolecular aldol condensation under mild basic conditions and palladium-catalyzed oxidative aromatization was developed for the synthesis of hexahydro-6H-isochromen-6-ones and isochromanols, respectively, from highly substituted tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-ones with excellent yield and diastereoselectivity. Overall, this work demonstrates the synthetic potential toward the synthesis of oxacycles like tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-ones, hexahydro-6H-isochromen-6-ones, and isochromanols via an atom-economic catalysis.

Divergent Total Syntheses of Six Ganoderma Meroterpenoids: A Bioinspired Two-Phase Strategy

We briefly highlight our recent work on the total synthesis of six Ganoderma phenolic meroterpenoids: ganocins A–C, ganocochlearins A–D, and cochlearol T. Critical to this success was a bioinspired two-phase strategy that featured an early-stage rapid construction of a common planar tricyclic intermediate and late-stage highly selective transformations of this intermediate into various Ganoderma meroterpenoids. Key steps of the synthesis include a biomimetic ortho-quinone methide intramolecular hetero-Diels–Alder reaction, a Stahl-type oxidative aromatization, a nucleophilic dearomatization of a phenol, a regioselective 1,4-reduction of a dienone, a site-selective Mukaiyama hydration, and an intramolecular oxa-Michael addition/triflation cascade.

Gold(i)-catalyzed access to neomerane skeletons

The gold(i) catalyzed cycloisomerization of an enynyl propargylic ester, featuring a 1,2-acyloxy migration/intramolecular cyclopropanation sequence, opens a straightforward access to the 5,7,3-tricyclic skeleton of neomerane sesquiterpenes. The first total synthesis of 5-epi-valeneomerin B in 12 steps with an overall yield of 5.3% is reported.

(±)-Applanatumines B–D: novel dimeric meroterpenoids from Ganoderma applanatum as inhibitors of JAK3

Applanatumines B–D (1–3), three pairs of dimeric meroterpenoid enantiomers featuring the presence of a 6-oxo-4,4a,5,5a,6,8,8a,8b-octahydrofuro[3′,4′:4,5]cyclopenta[1,2-b]pyran-3-carbaldehyde structure core, were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma applanatum.