Metabolite profiles for Antrodia cinnamomea fruiting bodies harvested at different culture ages and from different wood substrates.

Antrodia cinnamomea is a precious edible fungus endemic to Taiwan that has long been used as a folk remedy for health promotion and for treating various diseases. In this study, an index of 13 representative metabolites from the ethanol extract of A. cinnamomea fruiting body was established for use in quality evaluation. Most of the index compounds selected, particularly the ergostane-type triterpenoids and polyacetylenes, possess good anti-inflammation activity. A comparison of the metabolite profiles of different ethanol extracts from A. cinnamomea strains showed silmilar metabolites when the strains were grown on the original host wood (Cinnamomum kanehirai) and harvested after the same culture time period (9 months). Furthermore, the amounts of typical ergostane-type triterpenoids in A. cinnamomea increased with culture age. Culture substrates also influenced metabolite synthesis; with the same culture age, A. cinnamomea grown on the original host wood produced a richer array of metabolites than A. cinnamomea cultured on other wood species. We conclude that analysis of a fixed group of compounds including triterpenoids, benzolics, and polyacetylenes constitutes a suitable, reliable system to evaluate the quality of ethanol extract from A. cinnamomea fruiting bodies. The evaluation system established in this study may provide a platform for analysis of the products of A. cinnamomea.