Novel Cytokine Production Inhibitors Produced by a Basidiomycete, Marasmiellus sp.

New cytokine production inhibitors, CJ-14, 877 (I) and CJ-14, 897 (II), were isolated from the fermentation broth of a basidiomycete, Marasmiellus sp. CL21624. Their structures were determined to be methyl-(7R, 8S)-5-(7, 8-dihydroxypropyl)pyridine-2-carboxylate and methyl(7R, 8S)-5-(8-acetoxy-7-hydroxypropyl)pyridme-2-carboxylate, respectively, by spectroscopic analyses. These compounds showed inhibitory activities for lipopolysaccharide-induced production of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-a in human whole blood with IC50 values of the range from 0.059 to 2.6 JUM.