Natural Bioactive Compounds from Fungi As Potential Candidates for Protease Inhibitors and Immunomodulators to Apply for Coronaviruses

Overview

Journal Molecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biology

Date 2020 Apr 17

PMID 32295300

Citations 28

Authors

Nakarin Suwannarach

Jaturong Kumla

Kanaporn Sujarit

Thanawat Pattananandecha

Chalermpong Saenjum

Saisamorn Lumyong

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The inhibition of viral protease is an important target in antiviral drug discovery and development. To date, protease inhibitor drugs, especially HIV-1 protease inhibitors, have been available for human clinical use in the treatment of coronaviruses. However, these drugs can have adverse side effects and they can become ineffective due to eventual drug resistance. Thus, the search for natural bioactive compounds that were obtained from bio-resources that exert inhibitory capabilities against HIV-1 protease activity is of great interest. Fungi are a source of natural bioactive compounds that offer therapeutic potential in the prevention of viral diseases and for the improvement of human immunomodulation. Here, we made a brief review of the current findings on fungi as producers of protease inhibitors and studies on the relevant candidate fungal bioactive compounds that can offer immunomodulatory activities as potential therapeutic agents of coronaviruses in the future.

Citing Articles

Screening and identifying natural products with SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitory activity from medicinal fungi.

Zhao S, Huang A, Zhang W, Ren L, Wang H, Wang J Biosaf Health. 2025; 6(1):12-20.

PMID: 40078308 PMC: 11894996. DOI: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2023.12.006.

Antiviral potential of ginseng: Targeting human pathogenic viruses with compounds derived from ginseng.

Huo C, Baek J, Kim K J Ginseng Res. 2025; 49(2):105-117.

PMID: 40061485 PMC: 11889387. DOI: 10.1016/j.jgr.2024.12.004.

Mushrooms in modern cosmetics: unlocking anti-aging, antioxidant, and therapeutic potential.

Rukhsar S, Usman M, Yousaf N, Murtaza G, Manzoor M, Azam M Arch Dermatol Res. 2025; 317(1):542.

PMID: 40057933 DOI: 10.1007/s00403-025-04048-7.

Phytochemical analysis of and and their therapeutic activities with special reference to COVID-19.

Rai P, Garain T, Gupta D World J Exp Med. 2024; 14(3):95512.

PMID: 39312696 PMC: 11372741. DOI: 10.5493/wjem.v14.i3.95512.

Biological Properties, Health Benefits and Semisynthetic Derivatives of Edible Astraeus Mushrooms (Diplocystidiaceae): A Comprehensive Review.

Ung A, Chen H Chem Biodivers. 2024; 21(12):e202401295.

PMID: 39177069 PMC: 11644123. DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202401295.

References

Goetz D, Choe Y, Hansell E, Chen Y, McDowell M, Jonsson C . Substrate specificity profiling and identification of a new class of inhibitor for the major protease of the SARS coronavirus. Biochemistry. 2007; 46(30):8744-52. DOI: 10.1021/bi0621415. View

Hawas U, Al-Farawati R, Abou El-Kassem L, Turki A . Different Culture Metabolites of the Red Sea Fungus Fusarium equiseti Optimize the Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus NS3/4A Protease (HCV PR). Mar Drugs. 2016; 14(10). PMC: 5082338. DOI: 10.3390/md14100190. View

Vetvicka V, Vashishta A, Saraswat-Ohri S, Vetvickova J . Immunological effects of yeast- and mushroom-derived beta-glucans. J Med Food. 2008; 11(4):615-22. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2007.0588. View

Loutfy M, Blatt L, Siminovitch K, Ward S, Wolff B, Lho H . Interferon alfacon-1 plus corticosteroids in severe acute respiratory syndrome: a preliminary study. JAMA. 2003; 290(24):3222-8. DOI: 10.1001/jama.290.24.3222. View

Zhang S, Huang R, Li F, Wei H, Fang X, Xie X . Antiviral anthraquinones and azaphilones produced by an endophytic fungus Nigrospora sp. from Aconitum carmichaeli. Fitoterapia. 2016; 112:85-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2016.05.013. View

Harada H, Yamashita U, Kurihara H, Fukushi E, Kawabata J, Kamei Y . Antitumor activity of palmitic acid found as a selective cytotoxic substance in a marine red alga. Anticancer Res. 2003; 22(5):2587-90. View

Li J, Cheng C, Yang W, Yang C, Ou Y, Wu M . FIP-gts potentiate autophagic cell death against cisplatin-resistant urothelial cancer cells. Anticancer Res. 2014; 34(6):2973-83. View

Cui H, Chen Y, Wang S, Kai G, Fang Y . Isolation, partial characterisation and immunomodulatory activities of polysaccharide from Morchella esculenta. J Sci Food Agric. 2011; 91(12):2180-5. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.4436. View

Paaventhan P, Joseph J, Seow S, Vaday S, Robinson H, Chua K . A 1.7A structure of Fve, a member of the new fungal immunomodulatory protein family. J Mol Biol. 2003; 332(2):461-70. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-2836(03)00923-9. View

10.

Phuong D, Ma C, Hattori M, Jin J . Inhibitory effects of antrodins A-E from Antrodia cinnamomea and their metabolites on hepatitis C virus protease. Phytother Res. 2008; 23(4):582-4. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2657. View

11.

Booth C, Matukas L, Tomlinson G, Rachlis A, Rose D, Dwosh H . Clinical features and short-term outcomes of 144 patients with SARS in the greater Toronto area. JAMA. 2003; 289(21):2801-9. DOI: 10.1001/jama.289.21.JOC30885. View

12.

Ma B, Ren W, Zhou Y, Ma J, Ruan Y, Wen C . Triterpenoids from the spores of Ganoderma lucidum. N Am J Med Sci. 2012; 3(11):495-8. PMC: 3271404. DOI: 10.4297/najms.2011.3495. View

13.

Del Rio C, Malani P . COVID-19-New Insights on a Rapidly Changing Epidemic. JAMA. 2020; 323(14):1339-1340. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.3072. View

14.

Li Q, Guan X, Wu P, Wang X, Zhou L, Tong Y . Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(13):1199-1207. PMC: 7121484. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001316. View

15.

El Enshasy H, Hatti-Kaul R . Mushroom immunomodulators: unique molecules with unlimited applications. Trends Biotechnol. 2013; 31(12):668-77. DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2013.09.003. View

16.

Stierle A, Strobel G, Stierle D . Taxol and taxane production by Taxomyces andreanae, an endophytic fungus of Pacific yew. Science. 1993; 260(5105):214-6. DOI: 10.1126/science.8097061. View

17.

Schmutz C, Cenk E, Marko D . The Alternaria Mycotoxin Alternariol Triggers the Immune Response of IL-1β-stimulated, Differentiated Caco-2 Cells. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019; 63(20):e1900341. PMC: 6856692. DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201900341. View

18.

Tew W . Ovarian cancer in the older woman. J Geriatr Oncol. 2016; 7(5):354-61. DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2016.07.008. View

19.

Li Q, Zheng Y, Zhou X . Fungal immunomodulatory proteins: characteristic, potential antitumor activities and their molecular mechanisms. Drug Discov Today. 2018; 24(1):307-314. DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2018.09.014. View

20.

Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J . A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(8):727-733. PMC: 7092803. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001017. View