Triterpenoids from the edible mushroom Inonotus obliquus attenuates cognitive impairment in vitro and in vivo.

Inonotus obliquus is an edible and medicinal mushroom which is used to multiple products. In this study, 8 secondary metabolites (1-8) were identified from the edible mushroom I. obliquus through nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) data analysis. All metabolites were evaluated for anti-inflammatory activities in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells with the IC50 values of 8.47-25.53 μM. Among these, compound 1 showed notably reduced NO generation, restrained COX-2, iNOS, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA levels expression. Concurrently, the neuroprotective potential of compound 1 was preliminarily evaluated in a scopolamine (SCOP)-induced mice model. Behavioral assays revealed that supplementation with 1 markedly ameliorated cognitive impairment, and significantly suppressed the mRNA expression of neurotrophic factor, including NGF and BDNF. In conclusion, I. obliquus and compound 1 hold promise as natural therapeutic agents for improving cognitive function and related aspects of brain health.