Complete reduction of 2H-pyran-2-one moiety of coumarin and 6-methyl coumarin by Colletotrichum capsici.

The microbial transformation of coumarin (1) and 6-methyl coumarin (2) using Colletotrichum capsici gave 2-(3'-hydroxypropyl) phenol (3) and 2-(3'-hydroxypropyl)-4-methyl phenol (4). The phytopathogenic fungi effectively reduced the 2H-pyran-2-one moiety of both parent coumarins to respective alcohols.