Structures and Biological Activities of Alkaloids Produced by Mushrooms, a Fungal Subgroup

Abstract

Alkaloids are a wide family of basic N-containing natural products, whose research has revealed bioactive compounds of pharmacological interest. Studies on these compounds have focused more attention on those produced by plants, although other types of organisms have also been proven to synthesize bioactive alkaloids, such as animals, marine organisms, bacteria, and fungi. This review covers the findings of the last 20 years (2002–2022) related to the isolation, structures, and biological activities of the alkaloids produced by mushrooms, a fungal subgroup, and their potential to develop drugs and agrochemicals. In some cases, the synthesis of the reviewed compounds and structure−activity relationship studies have been described.

Multiple Metabolites Derived from Mushrooms and Their Beneficial Effect on Alzheimer’s Diseases

“…Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing compounds consisting of various subclasses. In addition to being widely present in plants, there is evidence to indicate that alkaloids are also important metabolites in mushrooms, with the most striking alkaloid being psilocybin derived from psilocybin mushrooms [ 214 , 215 ]. With the improvement in separation technology for natural products, various alkaloids were purified from mushrooms, some of which, such as corallocins and infractopicrin, have been found to have the potential to alleviate NDs [ 216 ].…”

Metabolomics Profiling of White Button, Crimini, Portabella, Lion’s Mane, Maitake, Oyster, and Shiitake Mushrooms Using Untargeted Metabolomics and Targeted Amino Acid Analysis

“…While terpenoids are a large class of compounds found throughout nature, their therapeutic uses span multiple physiological processes, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer processes [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Alkaloids produced in mushrooms have biological activities including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, among others described in a 2022 review [ 17 ]. Thus, mushrooms and their bioactive extracts are considered functional foods [ 18 ].…”

Pyrrole alkaloids from the fruiting bodies of edible mushroom Lentinula edodes

“…Subsequently, a series of pyrroles were identied from different mushrooms, however, none of them were from L. edodes. 8,11 Herein, we report the isolation and structural elucidation of compounds 1-9 (Fig. 1).…”

“…Alkaloids are a large group consisting of diverse subgroups of natural products that are most extensively studied in plants. Pyrrole is of special interest in developing new bioactive drugs owing to their anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, antimalarial, antitubercular, anti-inflammatory, and enzyme-inhibiting properties, 7–9 e.g. , the biggest-selling drug of all time, atorvastatin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, is just a pyrrole.…”

“…In mushrooms, the discovery of sciodole from Tricholoma sciodes , 10 an alkaloid containing both pyrrole and indole moieties in its structure, led to the beginning of isolating pyrroles from mushrooms. Subsequently, a series of pyrroles were identified from different mushrooms, however, none of them were from L. edode s. 8,11…”