Abstract
Using 10 known components in Antrodia cinnamomea including 5 ergostanes (antcins C and K,
and zhankuic acids A, B, and C), 4 lanostanes (sulphurenic acid, dehydrosulphurenic acid, eburicoic
acid, and dehydroeburicoic acid), and 1 monophenyl (4,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole)
as standards, mycelia and basidiomes of A. cinnamomea were differentiated in this study. Natural
basidiomes collected from wood of Cinnamomum kanehirai in natural forests and cultured basidiomes
grown on potato dextrose agar medium contained all 10 test components. However, natural
mycelia collected from the wood of C. kanehirai in a natural forest and liquid/solid cultured mycelia
grown on potato dextrose broth/potato dextrose agar media contained the 4 lanostanes and
4,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole but not the 5 ergostanes. These results indicate that the
production of ergostanes is related to basidiomatal formation of A. cinnamomea, but is not related
to the substrate on which the organism is grown.