Cerebrosides and Steroids from the Edible Mushroom Meripilus giganteus with Antioxidant Potential

The detailed chemical analysis of the methanol extract of Meripilus giganteus (Pers.) P. Karst. led to the isolation of two new cerebrosides, mericeramides A (1) and B (2) together with cerebroside B (3), ergosterol (4), 3β-hydroxyergosta-7,22-diene (5), cerevisterol (6), 3β-hydroxyergosta-6,8(14),22-triene (7), 3β-O-glucopyranosyl-5,8-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene (8) and (11E,13E)-9,10-dihydroxy-11,13-octadecadienoic acid (9). The structures of the compounds were determined on the basis of NMR and MS spectroscopic analysis. Mericeramide A (1) is the first representative of halogenated natural cerebrosides. The isolated fungal metabolites 1–9 were evaluated for their antioxidant activity using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Compounds 2, 5 and 9 proved to possess considerable antioxidant effects, with 2.50 ± 0.29, 4.94 ± 0.37 and 4.27 ± 0.05 mmol TE/g values, respectively. The result obtained gives a notable addition to the chemical and bioactivity profile of M. giganteus, highlighting the possible contribution of this species to a versatile and balanced diet.