Bioactive compounds and biological activity of extracts from Ganoderma spp. and Lentinus spp. cultivated on different wood sawdust substrates

Extracts obtained from four mushroom isolates— Ganoderma australe (G018), G. steyaertanum (G036), Lentinus swartzii (L063), and L. sajor-caju (L091)—cultivated on successfully producing sawdust-based substrates composed of durian (D), teak (T), pine (P), and eucalyptus (U) mixed with para-rubber (R) at various ratios (25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0) were evaluated for their bioactive compound profiles and biological activities. The inhibitory effects of these extracts were examined on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and the level of inflammation. In total, 16 (G018-R100, G036-R100, G018-D100, G036-D100, G036-D75, G036-D50, G018-D25, G036-D25, L063-D25, G018-P75, G036-P75, G036-P25, G018-T75, G036-T50, G018-T25, and G018-U50) out of 48 extracts at 200 μg/ml produced 100% inhibition of HSV-1 in both pre-infection and post-infection stages. G018-R100 had the highest selective index on anti-HSV-1 activity, followed by G036-R100 and G036-D25. Notably, G036-R100, G036-D100, G036-D50, and G036-D25 at 10 μg/ml significantly decreased IL1B expression and increased IL10 . The candidate phenolic and flavonoid profiles of G036-R100 and G036-D25 (the control and the extract of interest, respectively) were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The catechin level in G036-D25 was considerably higher than in the control. Rutin, quercetin, and catechin could more strongly bind to HSV-1 gD, while the 8 phytochemicals found in G036-D25 had desirable drug-like properties, based on a computational method. The extracts from the different substrates of the wood sawdust mixes used to cultivate each mushroom produced different yields of bioactive compounds and levels of biological activity. These findings highlight the potential of Ganoderma and Lentinus extracts cultivated under suitable sawdust compositions as promising sources of antiviral and anti-inflammatory agents.