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Morchella fluvialis, a morel mushroom, is one of the most famous edible mushrooms all over the world. Interest in this mushroom is steadily increasing due to its organoleptic properties and nutritional value. The methanolic extract of M. fluvialis showed α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities in an assay system. Therefore, the purification and characterisation of bioactive metabolites and evaluation of biological activity were conducted. Fractionation of the M. fluvialis extract resulted in the isolation of nine compounds, namely, three fatty acids, (9Z,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid (linoleic acid, 1), (9Z,12Z)-3-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (2) and (6Z,9Z)-13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (3); four sterols, stellasterol (4), ergosterol peroxide (5), ergosterol (6) and brassicasterol (7); one sugar alcohol, arabitol (8); and nicotinamide (9). Among them, compounds 2–3 and 7 were first reported from Morchella. In addition, compound 1 exhibited potent α-glucosidase inhibition, with an IC50 value of 14.8 μM. The content of compound 1, the major compound, was 1.2 mg · g–1 extract, as quantitated by HPLC analysis, which was lower than the IC50 value of compound 1. Therefore, M. fluvialis can benefit from diabetes and related diseases through the synergistic effect of linoleic acid (1) and other ingredients.

Cordycepin, also known as 3′-deoxyadenosine, is a major active ingredient of Cordyceps militaris with diverse pharmacological effects. Due to its limited supply, many attempts have been conducted to enhance the cordycepin content. As part of this study, eight medicinal plants were supplemented with cultivation substrates of Cordyceps to increase the cordycepin content. Cordyceps cultivated on brown rice supplemented with Mori Folium, Curcumae Rhizoma, Saururi Herba, and Angelicae Gigantis Radix exhibited increased cordycepin content compared to a brown rice control. Among them, the addition of 25% Mori Folium increased the cordycepin content up to 4 times. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) modulates the deamination of adenosine and deoxyadenosine, and the inhibitors have therapeutic potential with anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. As ADA is also known to be involved in converting cordycepin to 3′-deoxyinosine, the inhibitory activity of medicinal plants on ADA was measured by spectrophotometric analysis using cordycepin as a substrate. As expected, Mori Folium, Curcumae Rhizoma, Saururi Herba, and Angelicae Gigas Radix strongly inhibited ADA activity. Molecular docking analysis also showed the correlation between ADA and the major components of these medicinal plants. Conclusively, our research suggests a new strategy of using medicinal plants to enhance cordycepin production in C. militaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global abuse of stimulant methamphetamine (METH) imposes a significant social burden. Despite this, effective therapeutic interventions for mitigating the harmful effects associated with METH-induced central nervous system (CNS) stimulation remain elusive. Chamaecyparis obtusa (hinoki), containing hinokinin as its active constituent, has been identified to exhibit CNS depressant properties. Here, we explored the potential of the hinoki extract and hinokinin in modulating METH-induced hyperlocomotion through the regulation of dopaminergic neuronal activity. We discovered that pretreatment with hinokinin significantly attenuates METH-induced locomotor activity, indicative of reduced CNS stimulation. Furthermore, treatment with hinokinin was observed to inhibit the METH-induced elevation in dopamine levels and the concomitant decrease in dopamine transporter (DAT) function within striatal brain slices of mice. In silico analysis coupled with pull-down assays and the dose-response curve substantiated the direct binding of hinokinin to DAT. We propose that hinokinin mitigates METH-induced hyperlocomotion via the inhibition of dopaminergic neurotransmission, with allosteric modulation of DAT playing a critical role in this regulatory mechanism. Collectively, our research suggests the potential of hinokinin to mitigate dopamine-mediated central nervous system excitation.

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Adenophora triphylla yielded a new phenylpropanoid, adenophoride ( 1 ) and a new polyacetylene, adenylene ( 7 ) along with four phenylpropanoids and a polyacetylene. The structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis including NMR, MS, UV and IR. Among the isolated compounds, phenylpropanoids including a new compound showed mild α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.