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DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1556313
Penicillium chrysogenum, an endophyte from Padina gymnospora, as a source of diketopiperazines, peptides and griseofulvin
Endophytic fungi tend to live within the host organism over its entire life. Once associated, the fungi alter nutrient content and enhance or begin production of secondary metabolites which may play important roles in adaptation, defense against predators and represent an important source for bioprospection. Fungi from marine organisms have been shown to produce a variety of bioactive compounds and some are currently under development as antitumoral, anti-inflammatory agents among others. Padina gymnospora is a brown alga collected in the Brazilian southeast coast which afforded a fungal strain identified as Penicillium chrysogenum. Its crude extract afforded nucleotides, diketopiperazine derivatives in addition to griseofulvin and 7-dechorogriseofulvin. The secondary metabolites identification was carried out mainly by ESIMS, NMR analyses and search in Antimarin2011®, MarinLit® and ChemSpider® databanks. In addition, their antiinflammatory activities were investigated and the results evidenced the dose-dependent inhibition of NO overproduction by hirsutatin A, a cyclohexadepsipeptide obtained from P. chrysogenum extract and previously isolated from the insect pathogenic fungus Hirsutella nivea.