Eremophilane sesquiterpenes and diphenyl thioethers from the soil fungus Penicillium copticola PSU-RSPG138

Abstract

© 2015 The American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy. Four new compounds including two eremophilane sesquiterpenes, penicilleremophilanes A (1) and B (2), as well as two sulfur-containing biphenols, penicillithiophenols A (3) and B (4), were isolated from the soil fungus Penicillium copticola PSU-RSPG138 together with 16 known compounds. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Known sporogen AO-1 exhibited significant antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum with an IC<inf>50</inf> value of 1.53 μM and cytotoxic activity to noncancerous (Vero) cell lines with an IC<inf>50</inf> value of 4.23 μM. Although compound 1 was approximately half as active against P. falciparum with the IC<inf>50</inf> value of 3.45 μM, it showed much weaker cytotoxic activity.