Xylaranone, a previously unreported guaiane sesquiterpene along with the known terpenoid xylaranol B and the two mellein derivatives 3,5-dimethyl-8-methoxy-3,4-dihydroisocoumarin and 3,5-dimethyl-8-hydroxy-3,4-dihydroisocoumarin were isolated from Biscogniauxia nummularia. Pogostol was also isolated from this fungus, and in light of our spectroscopic data, its structure was revised and corrected. This fungus, which was isolated as an endophyte from the plum yew Cephalotaxus harringtonia, is also suspected of being a pathogen. Interestingly, we report here the potent antigerminative activity of xylaranone and xylaranol B against seeds of Raphanus sativus at concentrations comparable to glyphosate, a commonly used herbicide. This effect suggests a role for these metabolites in the latent fungal pathogenesis of B. nummularia.

A novel cyclodepsipeptide, iso-isariin B (1), and the known isaridin E (2) were isolated from the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria felina. Their structures were elucidated using MS/MS fragmentation and extensive 2D-heteronuclear NMR. The X-ray structure of isaridin E was obtained, showing two potent intramolecular H bonds and a type-VI turn with the HyLeu(1)-Pro(2) amide bond in a cis conformation. Iso-isariin B (1) was active against the pest-insect Sitophilus spp. with an LD(50) value of 10 μg/mL. This observation also gives some clues for ecological interpretation of cyclodepsipeptide production by B. felina.

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