# New Pyridinone Alkaloid and Polyketide from the Cordyceps-Colonizing Fungus Pseudogymnoascus roseus

## TL;DR

Researchers discovered two new compounds from a fungus that infects Cordyceps, one of which shows promise in fighting cancer by targeting specific pathways.

## Contribution

The discovery of two new bioactive compounds from Pseudogymnoascus roseus and their potential anti-gastric-cancer mechanism via EGFR modulation.

## Key findings

- Compound 3 showed strong cytotoxicity against A549 and MGC cancer cell lines.
- Compound 3 may act as an anti-gastric-cancer agent by modulating multiple signaling pathways.
- The structures of the new compounds were confirmed using NMR, MS, ECD, and X-ray crystallography.

## Abstract

One new pyridinone alkaloid pseudogymnone A (1) and one new tricyclic polyketide penijanthinone C (2), together with six known compounds, harzianic acid (3), 3-methyl-2-(2-nonenyl)-4(1H)-quinolinone (4), emodic acid (5), alaternin (6), violaceol-I (7), and violaceol-II (8), were obtained from the Cordyceps-colonizing fungus Pseudogymnoascus roseus. The structures and absolute configurations of the isolated compounds were elucidated through a combination of NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses, ECD calculations, and X-ray crystallography. Compound 3 exhibited obvious cytotoxicity against A549 (IC50 = 4.2 µM) and MGC (IC50 = 3.8 µM) cell lines. Integrated network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses indicated that compound 3 exerts potential anti-gastric-cancer effects by modulating multiple cancer-related signaling pathways, with EGFR identified as a potential target of compound 3.