Chemical and biological profiling of bioactive metabolites from the invertebrate-pathogenic fungus Gibellula scorpioides BCC 39989

Gibellula scorpioides BCC 39989 is one of the species of spider-parasitic Gibellula ( Hypocreales , Cordycipitaceae ) discovered in Thailand. Investigation of the invertebrate-pathogenic fungus G. scorpioides BCC 39989 led to the isolation of eight known compounds ( 1 – 8 ). Their chemical structures were determined by employing extensive spectroscopic analysis. Among them, ergosterol peroxide ( 1 ) and methyl o -hydroxycinnamate ( 2 ) exhibited significant biological activities. Both compounds notably suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide production and reduced IL-6 and TNF-α secretion in RAW264.7 macrophages. In addition, compounds 1 , 2 , and oleic acid ( 7 ) significantly inhibited lipid accumulation and reduced intracellular triglyceride content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Compound 1 also displayed potent antiproliferative activity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma (SW480) cells, with an IC 50 value of 13.33 µg/mL, whereas compound 2 was less effective. Genotoxicity evaluation of ergosterol peroxide ( 1 ) using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in V79 cells revealed no genotoxic effects at concentrations ranging from 3.125 to 50 µg/mL, both with and without metabolic activation. These findings highlight G. scorpioides as a promising source of bioactive compounds, particularly ergosterol peroxide ( 1 ), which exhibits potent anti-inflammatory, anti-adipogenic, and antiproliferative properties without genotoxicity.