Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, caused by accumulation of misfolded proteins and a disruption of calcium homeostasis, has been linked to several neuronal diseases including, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and prion diseases. A screen for protective activity against ER stress-dependent cell death identified termitomycamides, extracts from the fruiting bodies of T. titanicus, a notably large edible mushroom that is cultivated symbiotically in the nests of termites Termitomycamide B is a fatty acid isolated from T. titanicus that at a dose of 0.1 μg/ml protects against ER stress-dependent cell death in Neuro2a cells induced by tunicamycin.
[1] Choi JH, et al. Termitomycamides A to E, fatty acid amides isolated from the mushroom Termitomyces titanicus, suppress endoplasmic reticulum stress. Org Lett. 2010 Nov 5;12(21):5012-5. DOI:
10.1021/ol102186p[2] Yadav SK, et al. A Mechanistic Review on Medicinal Mushrooms-Derived Bioactive Compounds: Potential Mycotherapy Candidates for Alleviating Neurological Disorders. Planta Med. 2020 Nov;86(16):1161-1175. DOI:
10.1055/a-1177-4834
