Two new sesterterpenoids, aspterpenacids A (1) and B (2), with an unusual carbon skeleton of a 5/3/7/6/5 ring system were isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus terreus H010. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. A biogenetic pathway for 1 and 2 is proposed. Both 1 and 2 showed no significant antibacterial activity or cytotoxicity at 50 μM.

Two new chlorinated preussomerins, chloropreussomerins A and B (1 and 2), together with nine known preussomerin analogues, 3-11, were obtained from the endophytic fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae ZJ-HQ1. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were both determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction using Cu Kα radiation. Chloropreussomerins A and B (1 and 2) are the first chlorinated compounds in the preussomerin family, and preussomerin M (3) is reported for the first time as a natural product. Compounds 1 and 2 showed potent in vitro cytotoxicity against A549 and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 5.9 to 8.9 μM, and compounds 4-7 exhibited significant bioactivity against A549, HepG2, and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 2.5-9.4 μM. In the antibacterial assay, compounds 1, 2, 5-7, and 11 exhibited significant activities against Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC values between 1.6 and 13 μg/mL.

Biosynthesis of a potent MptpB inhibitor asperterpenoid A by a sesterterpene cyclase AstC and a multifunctional P450 enzyme AstB.

Lasiodiplactone A (1), an unprecedented lactone, was obtained from the mangrove endophytic fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae ZJ-HQ1. The structure of 1 was established by analysis of NMR spectroscopic data and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Lasiodiplactone A (1) was the first example of lactone that possesses a unique tetracyclic system (12/6/6/5) of RAL (12-membered β-resorcylic acid lactone) with a pyran ring and a furan ring. A possible biogenetic pathway for 1 was proposed. Compound 1 showed anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide activated in RAW264.7 cells with IC value of 23.5 μM and exhibited potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC values of 29.4 μM.