Lipids in tinder fungus, Fomes fometarius (L.) Fr., Polyporaceae

Abstract

Tinder fungus, Fomes fomentarius (L.) Fr. (Polyporaceae), is a large, woody, perennial fungus. It is a plant pathogen which grows on the beech and other deciduous species as a parasite or saprophyte causing a heart rot of the wood. Some studies have shown that F. fomentarius has hypoglycemic, anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and anti-tumor effect. Several classes of metabolites were identified: primary metabolites i.e., proteins, polysaccharides (β-glucans), polysaccharide-protein complexes, and secondary metabolites such as triterpenes and sterols, organic acids, benzofurans, coumarins, volatile components. GC/MS analysis of cyclohexane extract of fungus collected on mountain Avala in 2017 have shown the presence of sterols: ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3-ol (46.8%); ergosta-7,22-dien-3-ol (25.4%); ergosta-7,22-dien-3-on (15.9%); ergost-7-en-3-ol (fungisterol, kampesterol) (4.3%); 5,6-dihidro-3-ergosterol (5.5%). Fatty acids were also determined, including palmitic acid (C16:0) 34.0%, stearic acid (C18:0) 18.0%, linoleic acid (C18:2n6c) 10.8%, heneicosanoic acid (C21:0) (5.6%), behenic acid (C22:0) (10.9%), tricosanoic acid (C23:0) (18.4%) and lignoceric acid (C24:0) (2.3%). Cyclohexane extract has shown antibacterial activity against several bacterial strains including Helicobacter pylori and significant cytotoxic activity against HeLa cell line with an IC50 25.10±7.16 (μg/mL). These activities could be due to the presence of cytotoxic fatty acids.