Four New Sesquiterpenoids from Cultures of the Fungus Phellinidium sulphurascens

Four new sesquiterpenoids, namely 12-hydroxy-3-oxodrimenol (1), 11-hydroxyacetoxydrim-7-en-3β-ol (2), 2,6-dimethyl-7,10-epoxy-10-hydroxymethyldodeca-2,11-dien-6-ol (3), and 7,10-epoxy-2,6,10-trimethyldodeca-2,11-diene-4,6-diol (4), along with fourteen known compounds, were isolated from the cultures of Phellinidium sulphurascens. The structures of compounds 1-4 were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. All of them were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities.

(Z)-5-tetradecen-1-ol: A secondary pheromone of the yellowheaded spruce sawfly, and its relationship to (Z)-10-nonadecenal

The yellowheaded spruce sawfly,Pikonema alaskensis (Rohwer), was known to possess a potent secondary pheromone with the polarity of an alcohol, based on earlier studies with Florisil fractions. Purification of the 25% ether-hexane Florisil fraction (polarity as with alcohols) and the hydrolyzed 5% ether-hexane fraction (polarity as with esters) from 50,000 females yielded a total of ca 3μg of an active compound identified as (Z)-5-tetradecen-1-ol (Z5-14∶ OH). When added to 100 ng of (Z)-10-nonadecenal (Z10-19∶Al), which behaves as the primary pheromone in this sawfly, 0.5 ng of syntheticZ5-14∶ OH caused an 8.8-fold increase in the greenhouse bioassay response, compared toZ10-19∶Al alone.E5-14∶ OH caused a 2.8-fold increase. Only the combination ofZ5-14∶ OH andZ10-19∶ Al consistently elicited mating attempts among males. When Hercon® formulations ofZ5-14∶OH andZ10-19∶ Al were used together to bait traps, catches were up to four times higher than for theZ10-19∶ Al alone, but this increase was seen only after emergence and mating activity in the field population were virtually complete. TheZ5-14∶ OH was inactive alone, and at higher levels it depressed trap catches toZ10-19∶ Al. The Hercon formulations ofZ5-14∶ 0H andZ10-19∶Al together were as attractive as virgin females.Z10-19∶Al alone and the (Z,Z)-9,19 hydrocarbon dienes (found in all females and able to oxidize in air to produceZ10-19∶Al) were similar to mated females. ThusZ5-14∶:OH accounted for the difference in attractiveness between virgin and mated females.

T-muurolol sesquiterpenes from the marine Streptomyces sp. M491 and revision of the configuration of previously reported amorphanes

Two new sesquiterpenes, 15-hydroxy-T-muurolol (3d) and 11,15-dihydroxy-T-muurolol (3e), along with the plant cadinenes T-muurolol (3f) and 3alpha-hydroxy-T-muurolol (3g), were isolated from the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. M491. Their absolute configuration was established via NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography of 3-oxo-T-muurolol (3a), which was reisolated from this strain. In addition, the absolute configuration of further sesquiterpenes previously reported from this strain was revised. These products were tested for their cytotoxicity against 37 human tumor cell lines using the MTT method. Only 3d was cytotoxic against a range of human tumor cell lines with a mean IC50 of 6.7 microg/mL.