Anti‐Inflammatory and Anti‐Tumor‐Promoting Effects of Triterpene Acids and Sterols from the Fungus Ganoderma lucidum

A series of lanostane‐type triterpene acids, including eleven lucidenic acids ( 3, 4, 9, 10, 13 – 19 ) and six ganoderic acids ( 20 – 22, 24, 26, 27 ), as well as six sterols ( 28 – 33 ), all isolated from the fruiting bodies of the fungus Ganoderma lucidum , were examined for their inhibitory effects on the induction of Epstein–Barr virus early antigen (EBV‐EA) by 12‐ O ‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA) in Raji cells, a known primary screening test for anti‐tumor promoters. All of the compounds tested, except for ganolactone ( 27 ) and three sterols ( 29 – 31 ), showed potent inhibitory effects on EBV‐EA induction, with IC 50 values of 235–370 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA. In addition, nine lucidenic acids ( 1, 2, 5 – 8, 11, 12, 18 ) and four ganoderic acids ( 20, 23 – 25 ) were found to inhibit TPA‐induced inflammation (1 μg/ear) in mice, with ID 50 values of 0.07–0.39 mg per ear. Further, 20‐hydroxylucidenic acid N ( 18 ) exhibited inhibitory effects on skin‐tumor promotion in an in vivo two‐stage mouse‐skin carcinogenesis test based on 7,12‐dimethylbenz[ a ]anthracene (DMBA) as initiator, and with TPA as promoter.