An amendment of Aspergillus section Candidi based on chemotaxonomical evidence.

A novel 2,2'-epoxy-terphenyllin, candidusin C, in addition to the well known secondary metabolites terphenyllin, 3-hydroxyterpenyllin and chlorflavonin, has been isolated from the chemically unexplored fungus Aspergillus campestris. The latter three are known secondary metabolites from Aspergillus candidus and therefore a large number of Aspergilli were screened for production of these compounds to see whether they could be regarded as chemotaxonomical indicators of section membership in the monotypic Aspergillus section Candidi. The results indicated that A. campestris and A. taichungensis should be placed in Candidi and this was further confirmed by morphological and physiological similarities. Three species outside the section Candidi produced candidusin related secondary metabolites: Aspergillus arenarius, A. ellipticus and Penicillium raistrickii. Chlorflavonin, however, was only found in section Candidi.

Circumdatins D, E, and F: further fungal benzodiazepine analogues from aspergillus ochraceus

Three new benzodiazepine alkaloids belonging to the circumdatin series have been isolated as minor constituents of culture extracts of a terrestrial strain of the fungus Aspergillus ochraceus. Their structures were solved by MS and NMR comparison with previously reported circumdatin analogues.

Deoxynortrichoharzin, a new polyketide from the saltwater culture of a sponge-derived Paecilomyces fungus.

The saltwater culture of a Paecilomyces cf. javanica isolated from the marine sponge Jaspis cf. coriacea has yielded a new polyketide, deoxynortrichoharzin (1), and two known diketopiperazines (2 and 3).

Antibacterial activity of marine-derived fungi.

A total of 227 marine isolates of ubiquitous fungi were cultivated on different media and the secondary metabolite content of the extracts (ethyl acetate/chloroform/methanol 3:2:1) characterized by HPLC. The fungi were secured from animals, plants and sediments of Venezuelan waters (0-10 m) including mangroves and lagoonal areas. The extracts were tested for antibacterial activity. A total of 7 were active towards Vibrio parahaemolyticus and 55 towards Staphylococcus aureus, representing 18 different fungal species from 8 ascomycetous genera. For 61 strains of Penicillium citrinum antibacterial activity correlated well with content of secondary metabolites as measured by HPLC. Thirteen isolates of Penicillium steckii produced very similar profiles of secondary metabolites and 6 of these had activity against either V. parahaemolyticus or S. aureus or both.