Lucideric acid A (Lucidenic acid A) is a modulator of JNK and p38 and enhances LPS-induced immune responses in monocytic THP-1 cells possibly via the modulation of p38 and JNK/MAPKs activation.

Here, we showed that triterpenes-rich extract of antlered form of G. lucidum (G. lucidum AF) induces TNFα± production in monocytic THP-1 cells. Furthermore, the extract also synergized with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce TNFα± production in THP-1 cells, suggesting an immunostimulatory role of triterpenes-rich extract of G. lucidum AF. Notably, the extract enhanced LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), while it suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) MAPK. p38 Inhibitor suppressed TNFα± production, while JNK inhibitor enhanced TNFα± production, implying that synergistic effect of the extract may work by modulating p38 and JNK MAPKs. Moreover, we found that the triterpenes-rich extract of G. lucidum AF contains high amounts of lucidenic acids. Lucidenic acid-A, -F and -D(2), which seem to dominantly exist in the extract, were purified from the triterpenes-rich extract. We also identified Lucidenic acid-A and -F as modulators of JNK and p38, respectively[1]