Carpesabrolide A, a novel meroterpenoid with anti-inflammatory activity from Carpesium abrotanoides.

Carpesabrolide A (1), featuring an unprecedented fumaric acid-guaiane sesquiterpenoid hybrid, has been isolated from the folk medicinal plant Carpesium abrotanoides. The structure with absolute configuration has been established by spectroscopic methods and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The plausible biosynthetic pathway for 1 is proposed. Compound 1 shows significant anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting NO production with an IC50 value of 2.7 µM.

Boerechalasins A-G, cytochalasans from the fungus Boeremia exigua with anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities.

Seven previously undescribed cytochalasans, namely, boerechalasins A-G, together with one analogue, were characterized from the solid culture of the fungus Boeremia exigua. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis as well as electronic circular dichroism calculations. Remarkably, boerechalasin F possessed an unusual sulfoxide moiety that might be derived from methionine, while boerechalasin G had an unusual 5-methylcyclohexane-1,2,3-triol substituent at N-2 position. Boerechalasins A and E exhibited inhibitory activities against nitric oxide production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 21.9 and 5.7 µM, respectively. Boerechalasin F displayed cytotoxicity against human MCF‒7 cells with an IC50 value of 22.8 µM.

Triquinane Sesquiterpene Glycosides from the Basidiomycete Antrodiella zonata.

In our ongoing study of fungal bioactive natural products, 12 previously undescribed triquinane sesquiterpene glycosides, namely, antrodizonatins A-L (1-12), and four known compounds (13-16) have been obtained from the fermentation of the basidiomycete Antrodiella zonata. The structures were established unambiguously via extensive spectroscopic analysis and theoretical calculations of electronic circular dichroism spectra. This is the first report of triquinane sesquiterpene glycosides. Compounds 1, 5, and 12 displayed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC50 values of 35, 34, and 69 µM, respectively.

Polyketides from the fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia and their bioactivities.

Three previously undescribed griseofulvin derivatives, namely pochonichlamydins A-C, one small polyketide, namely pochonichlamydin D, together with nine known compounds, have been isolated from cultures of the fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia. Their structures with absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectrometric methods and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Dechlorogriseofulvin and griseofulvin exhibited inhibitory activities against Candida albicans at the concentration of 100 µM, with inhibition rates of 69.1% and 56.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, pochonichlamydin C showed mild cytotoxicity against the human cancer MCF-7 cell line with an IC50 value of 33.1 µM.