Sterol fatty acid esters from the mushroom Hericium erinaceum and their PPAR transactivational effects

Six new (erinarols A-F, 1-6) and five known (7-11) ergostane-type sterol fatty acid esters were isolated from the methanol extract of the dried fruiting bodies of Hericium erinaceum. Their chemical structures were elucidated using chemical and physical methods as well as through comparison of NMR and mass spectral data with those reported previously. This is the first comprehensive investigation on ergostane-type sterol fatty acid esters from H. erinaceum. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their PPAR transactivational effects using a luciferase reporter system. Compounds 1 and 2 significantly activated the transcriptional activity of PPARs in a dose-dependent manner, with EC50 values of 8.2 and 6.4 μM, respectively. Moreover, compounds 1 and 2 also activated PPARα and PPARγ transcriptional activity, with stimulation from 1.3- to 3.9-fold at 20 μM concentrations.