Three New Ophiobolins from a Marine Fungus Aspergillus flocculosus

Abstract

Secondary metabolites from marine organisms are recognized as a promising source of chemically diverse, structurally novel, and biologically active compounds. Marine microorganisms, particularly marine-derived fungi, have played an important role in discovering pharmaceutical lead compounds. During our ongoing investigation on secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms, the fungus Aspergillus flocculosus 168ST-16.1 was originally isolated from a seaweed Padina sp. collected at Da Nang, Vietnam. Three new ophiobolin derivatives along with ophiobolin C and 6-epi-ophiobolin C were isolated from the crude extract of the strain. The structures of the new compounds were determined by analyses of their MS and NMR spectroscopic data.t role in discovering pharmaceutical lead compounds. During our ongoing investigation on secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms, the fungus Aspergillus flocculosus 168ST-16.1 was originally isolated from a seaweed Padina sp. collected at Da Nang, Vietnam. Three new ophiobolin derivatives along with ophiobolin C and 6-epi-ophiobolin C were isolated from the crude extract of the strain. The structures of the new compounds were determined by analyses of their MS and NMR spectroscopic data.