Antiurolithic activity and biotransformation of galloylquinic acids by Aspergillus alliaceus ATCC10060, Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC 16404, and Cunninghamella elegans ATCC 10028b

Copaifera lucens n-butanolic fraction (BF) was used as a source of galloylquinic acids, and aerobically incubated with Aspergillus alliaceus ATCC10060, Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC 16404, and Cunninghamella elegans ATCC 10028b cultures for 60 and 120 h. Out of the three studied filamentous fungi, A. alliaceus ATCC10060 was able to degrade galloylquinic acids into one major metabolite, 3-O-methylgallic acid (M1). The product was identified by ¹H NMR, UPLC-MS/MS, and its potential effect on calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystal binding to Madin-Darby canine kidney cells type I surface was studied. Renal cells pretreatment with BF and M1 for 3 h significantly decreased COM crystaladherence at 50 μg/mL and 5 μM, respectively. Moreover, both M1 and BF significantly reduced the surface expression of COM-binding proteins annexin A1 (ANXA1) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), respectively as evidenced by Western blot analysis of membrane, cytosolic, and whole cell lysate fractions. The compounds also showed antioxidant activities in a DPPH assay.