Aromatase inhibitory, radical scavenging, and antioxidant activities of depsidones and diaryl ethers from the endophytic fungus Corynespora cassiicola L36

Isolation of a broth extract of the endophytic fungus Corynespora cassiicola L36 afforded three compounds, corynesidones A (1) and B (3), and corynether A (5), together with a known diaryl ether 7. Compounds 1, 3, 5, and 7 were relatively non-toxic against cancer cells, and inactive toward normal cell line, MRC-5. Corynesidone B (3) exhibited potent radical scavenging activity in the DPPH assay, whose activity was comparable to ascorbic acid. Based on the ORAC assay, compounds 1, 3, 5, and 7 showed potent antioxidant activity. However, the isolated natural substances and their methylated derivatives (1−8) neither inhibited superoxide anion radical formation in the XXO assay nor suppressed TPA-induced superoxide anion generation in HL-60 cell line. Corynesidone A (1) inhibited aromatase activity with an IC₅₀ value of 5.30 μM.