GC / MS analySiS of Tremella fuciformis ( White jelly MuShrooMS ) oil

The use of mushrooms for the treatment of diseases can be traced to Paleolithic era. One mushroom that has shown potent medicinal properties both by oral consumption and topical application is the Tremella fuciformis. gC/MS analyses of T. fuciformis oil obtained by hydro-distillation showed four predominant compounds. 9,19-Cyclolanost-24-en-3-ol, (3.beta.)was the most predominant with RT of 20.766 and 24.672 min and a percentage total of 32.681 followed by 7-Isopropenyl-1,4a-dimethyl-4,4a,5 ,6,7,8-hexahydro-3h-naphthalen-2-one with RT of 22.425 min and a percentage total of 21.334, lupeol had RT of 22.825 and 23.230 min and a percentage total of 18.531, while lanosterol had RT of 21.079 and 23.034 min and a percentage total of 17.845. These four compounds represent 90.391% of the total constituent compounds in T. fuciformis oil. The therapeutic properties of two predominant compounds (lanosterol and lupeol) of this mushroom confirm its use for the treatment of both dermatological and ophthalmological related diseases by traditional medical practitioners.

The use of mushrooms for the treatment of diseases can be traced to Paleolithic era.One mushroom that has shown potent medicinal properties both by oral consumption and topical application is the Tremella fuciformis.gC/MS analyses of T. fuciformis oil obtained by hydro-distillation showed four predominant compounds.9,19-Cyclolanost-24-en-3-ol, (3.beta.)-was the most predominant with R T of 20.766 and 24.672 min and a percentage total of 32.681 followed by 7-Isopropenyl-1,4a-dimethyl-4,4a,5 ,6,7,8-hexahydro-3h-naphthalen-2-one with R T of 22.425 min and a percentage total of 21.334, lupeol had R T of 22.825 and 23.230 min and a percentage total of 18.531, while lanosterol had R T of 21.079 and 23.034 min and a percentage total of 17.845.These four compounds represent 90.391% of the total constituent compounds in T. fuciformis oil.The therapeutic properties of two predominant compounds (lanosterol and lupeol) of this mushroom confirm its use for the treatment of both dermatological and ophthalmological related diseases by traditional medical practitioners.

K e y w o r d s: mushrooms Tremella fuciformis, gC/MS analysis, volatile components, lipids, triterpenoid.
F ruiting bodies of non-poisonous giant mushrooms are consumed either because of their nutritional properties or their medicinal benefits.Mushrooms have a long and rich medicinal history.For example, the Paleolithic people knew and used mushroom as medicines for the treatment of disease [1].Apart from the use of mushrooms in traditional medicine, mushroom extracts are presently applied in modern medicine in most Asian countries.Most of their extracts, such as polysaccharide, glycoprotein and proteoglycans are presently under basic research for their potential to modulate immune system responses and inhibit tumor growth [2], whereas other isolates have shown potential antiviral, antibacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic properties in preliminary studies [3].Medicinal properties of most mushrooms are exhibited either by oral consumption of the whole mushroom or its extract.T. fuciformis is one mushroom that has shown potent medicinal properties both by oral consumption and topical application.This mushroom has enjoyed a long dermatological history as a skin tonic for healthy complexion, it's used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment and management chronic tracheitis, asthma and other cough-related conditions has been reported [4].Though studies revealed Glucuronoxylomannan and Vitamin D as the two bioactive constituents of this mushroom, its blood glucose and cholesterol lowering ability and anti-tumor properties are being studied [4].This present study is geared towards the determination of possible therapeutic secondary metabolites whose presence may have also contributed to some of the medicinal potentials of this mushroom.

Materials and Methods
Sample collection and preparation.Fresh T. fuciformis was obtained from its natural environment

M e t h o d S M e t h o d S
(dead mango tree stump) in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, South-East Nigeria.A quantity of the the mushroom (2.5 kg) was thoroughly washed with distilled water and air dried for a period of 2 weeks in a clean dust free environment.The dried samples were ground using a Thomas Scientific, (Model 4) Wiley's mill until a fine smooth powder was obtained.
gC/MS analysis of mushroom oil.The ground mushroom powder (100 g) was added to 3.0 dm 3 of distilled water and the oil obtained by hydro-distillation was collected into hexane.The solution was concentrated by evaporation at room temperature.The oil was analysed using a combined gas chromatograph model HP 6890 and mass spectrometer model 5973 (AgilentTech.)fitted with a capillary column HP-5 MS (5% phenylmethylsiloxane) 30.0 m×250 μm×0.25 μm, using helium as a carrier gas at initial column temperature 120 °C for 5 min.Thereafter, the column temperature was increased at 5 °C per minutes to 320 °C and held for 5 min.Electron impact ionization for mass spectroscopy was done at ionization energy of 70 eV.The essential oil was diluted with 98% hexane and 2 μl of the diluted sample was automatically injected into AgilentTech model 5973 mass spectrometer.The constituent compounds were identified using the Chem-Office software attached to the MS library.The names, molecular formulas, molecular weights and structures of the component oils were ascertained using the database of National Institute Standard and Technology (NIST).

Results of the gC-MS analysis of the constituent oils from T. fuciformis
The high concentration of 9,19-cyclolanost-24-en-3-ol, (3.beta.)-observed in this study shows the ability of this mushroom to absorb and accumulate lipid compound from their growth medium.9,19-cyclolanost-24-en-3-ol, (3.beta.)-is a triterpenoid sterol that is domicile to plants, where it serves as a precursor for the synthesis of other plant steroids [5].The fairly high concentration of lanosterol observed in this study not only confirms lanosterol as the precursor for the synthesis of steroids in this mushroom, but also shows the ability of this mushroom to synthesize lanosterol via a stepwise process initiated by the enzymatic conjugation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate.Though lanosterol is a tetracyclic triterpenoid, its ability to prevent and reverse cataract formation in dogs and rabbits has being reported [6,7].However, a 6 day incubation of age-related cataractous human lens nuclei in lanosterol solution failed to reverse its nuclear opacity [8].Zhao L. et al., [6] also reported the ability of lanosterol to reduce cataract severity and increase transparency in dissected rabbit cataractous lenses in vitro and cataract severity in vivo in dogs.Their identification of lanosterol as a key molecule in the prevention of lens protein aggregation points to a novel strategy for cataract prevention and treatment [6].
The traditional dermatological application of this mushroom may be as a result of its high lupeol content.As a pharmacologically active phytosterol and triterpene, lupeol has shown antimicrobial, antiprotozoal, antiinflammatory, antitumor and chemopreventive properties [9].Geetha T., and Varalakshmi P., [10] reported that the use of lupeol causes a 39% decrease in paw swelling while indomethacin (a conventional anti-inflammatory agent) only reduces paw swelling in rats by 35%.As an antiinflammatory agent, lupeol decreases IL-4 (interleukin 4) production by T-helper type 2 cells [9,11].Though [12,13] reported lupeol as effective inhibitor of both prostate and skin cancers, Marques et al., [14] showed that lupeol at its millimolar concentration can inhibit the activities dipeptidyl peptidase-4 and prolyloligopeptidase enzymes.
The inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 by lupeol indicates that the consumption of this mushroom may induce an oral hypoglycemic effect via prolonged incretin effect, which tantamount to a reduction on the incidence of type II diabetes mellitus.The consumption of this mushroom may also be relevant in the reduction of depressive symptoms via lupeol's inhibitory effect on prolyloligopeptidase enzyme.The presence and medicinal importance of these therapeutic triterpenoids observed in this mushroom confirms that the application of this mushroom in the treatment of both dermatological and ophthalmological related diseases by traditional medical practitioners is not limited to its glucuronoxylomannan and vitamin D content.