Natural Compound Derived from Forest Mushrooms Effective in Inhibiting Obesity-Related Tendon Injury

A study has found that a natural compound derived from forest mushrooms is effective in inhibiting obesity-related tendon injury.

On March 30, the National Institute of Forest Science announced that it had conducted a joint study with a research team from the College of Medicine at Chung-Ang University, revealing the mechanism by which ergosterol—a natural compound derived from forest mushrooms—suppresses tendon injury (tendinopathy) that occurs in an obese environment.

Image illustrating the inhibitory effect of ergosterol on plant disease symptoms. National Institute of Forest Science

Tendinopathy is a chronic disease that can worsen not only due to repetitive physical stimuli but also as a result of metabolic changes such as obesity. Intracellular stress caused by fatty acid accumulation is identified as the primary cause.

In particular, the saturated fatty acid palmitate induces endoplasmic reticulum stress, destabilizing protein homeostasis and promoting the apoptosis of tendon cells and collagen degradation, which may lead to tissue degeneration. However, current treatments focus on pain relief and physical rehabilitation, and have limitations in directly addressing the pathological mechanisms at the cellular level.

In contrast, experiments confirmed that ergosterol is effective in treating tendinopathy by inhibiting the apoptosis and functional decline of tendon cells, regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress, and modulating signaling between muscle and tendon.

In an obesity-mimicking environment induced by palmitate, ergosterol was shown to increase the survival rate of tendon cells and suppress cell death.

Additionally, it inhibited collagen-degrading enzymes while normalizing collagen levels necessary for the structural stability of tendon tissue, suggesting that it may contribute not only to the alleviation of inflammation but also to the recovery of tendon tissue function.

The joint research team believes that ergosterol can alleviate obesity-related tendinopathy through multiple mechanisms, including the suppression of intracellular stress, metabolic regulation, and inter-tissue signaling.

Above all, as ergosterol is a mushroom-derived natural compound, it has high potential for practical application. The joint research team expects that, following further animal experiments and clinical studies, it could be developed into an actual therapeutic agent for tendinopathy.

The study results were published in the international journal "Mycobiology."

Kyungtae Lee, Ph.D., of the Forest Microbial Resource Division at the National Institute of Forest Science, stated, "This research is significant as it expands treatment strategies for obesity-related musculoskeletal disorders to the cellular and molecular level. The National Institute of Forest Science will focus on establishing a foundation for developing functional materials and discovering new drug candidates in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.