Productivity and bioactivity of enokipodins A–D of <i>Flammulina rossica</i> and <i>Flammulina velutipes</i>

Abstract

Enokipodins are antimicrobial sesquiterpenes produced by <i>Flammulina velutipes</i> in a mycelial culture medium. To date, enokipodin production has not been reported in other members of the genus <i>Flammulina</i>. Hence, in this study, the production of enokipodins A, B, C, and D by <i>F. velutipes</i> and <i>F. rossica</i> was investigated. Some strains of <i>F. rossica</i> were confirmed to produce at least one of the four enokipodins in the culture medium. However, some strains of <i>F. velutipes</i> did not produce any of the enokipodins. In an antibacterial assay using liquid medium, enokipodin B showed the strongest growth inhibitory activity against <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> among the four types of enokipodins. Enokipodin B inhibited the spore germination of some plant pathogenic fungi. Enokipodins B and D exerted moderate anti-proliferative activity against some cancer cell lines, and enokipodins A and C inhibited the proliferation of the malarial parasite, <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>.