Cerevisterol is an ergosterol fungal metabolite originally isolated from S. cerevisiae that has diverse biological activities, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties.1 It is active against the bacteria S. typhi, S. aureus, and E. faecalis (MICs = 25, 25, and 50 μg/ml, respectively) and the fungus A. niger (MIC = 25 μg/ml), but has no effect on the bacteria E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. pyogenes, K. pneumoniae, and B. subtilis, or the fungi C. albicans, A. flavus, and A. tamarii when used at concentrations up to 400 μg/ml.2 Cerevisterol (2-20 μM) inhibits LPS-induced increases in the levels of nitric oxide (NO), TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and prostaglandin E2 in RAW 264.7 cells.3 It inhibits proliferation of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and Caco-2 cancer cells (EC50s = 64.5, 52.4, and 37.6 μM, respectively), but not PC3, PANC-1, or A549 cells (IC50 = >100 μM for all).4,5

|1. Bills, C.E., and Honeywell, E.M. Antiricketic substances: VIII. Studies on highly purified ergosterol and its esters. J. Biol. Chem. 80, 15-23 (1928).|2. Appiah, T., Agyare, C., Luo, Y., et al. Antimicrobial and resistance modifying activities of cerevisterol isolated from Trametes species. Curr. Bioact. Compd. 14, (2018).|3. Liu, Y.-W., Mei, H.-C., Su, Y.-W., et al. Inhibitory effects of Pleurotus tuber-regium mycelia and bioactive constituents on LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. J. Funct. Foods 7, 662-670 (2014).|4. Wang, H., Liu, T., and Xin, Z. A new glucitol from an endophytic fungus Fusarium equiseti Salicorn 8. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 239(3), 365-376 (2014).|5. Wang, Q.-X., Li, S.-F., Zhao, F., et al. Chemical constituents from endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Fitoterapia 82(5), 777-781 (2011).