Screening of Organisms Producing Inhibitors of 15-Lipoxygenase Among Micromycetes
The effects of extracts from the mycelium of Lecanicilium lecanii No.169, Beauveria fellina No.7 and Beauveria bassiana No.15 on the activity of 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) recovered from rat reticulocytes was investigated. The activity of 15-LO was determined by oxidation of linolic acid. The extract from the mycelium of the fungal complex was shown to inhibit 15-LO (IC<sub>50</sub> of 12 mcg/ml). The inhibitory effect of the combined extract on 15-LO was due to the substances recovered from Lecanicilium lecanii No.169. The extract fractions responsible for the activity were determined and the compounds containing the fractions were identified. They proved to be 10 - 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol and genistein, a flavonoid from fraction 11. The possible role of the inhibitory effect of the compounds on 15-LO in the antiatherosclerotic activity of the fungal extract is discussed.