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Here we describe the biotransformation of clovane derivatives by filamentary fungi Pestalotiopsis palustris and Penicillium minioluteum, and the application of the latter to the synthesis and determination of the absolute configuration of rumphellclovane A (2). Methoxyclovanol (1), a growth inhibitor of the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea, is metabolised by P. palustris to yield rumphellclovane A (2), a natural compound recently isolated from the gorgonian coral Rumphella antipathies, two new compounds, (1R,2S,5S,8R,9S,10R)-2-methoxyclovane-9,10-diol (5) and (1S,2S,5S,7R,8R,9R)-2-methoxyclovane-7,9-diol (6), hydroxylated in positions not easily accessed by classic synthetic chemistry, and clovanodiols 3 and 4. P. minioluteum is able to selectively transform methoxyclovanol (1) into clovanodiols 3 and 4 and, in turn, lactone 8, the putative intermediate in the above mentioned synthesis of rumphellclovane A (2), into compound 2 via a domino process. The ability of P. minioluteum to carry out the cleavage of ethers on clovane derivatives is also evaluated.

Propolis is a natural product widely known for its medicinal properties. In this work, fungi present on propolis samples were isolated, identified and tested for the production of antimicrobial metabolites. Twenty-two fungal isolates were obtained, some of which were identified as Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Bipolaris hawaiiensis, Fusarium merismoides, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium janthinellum, Penicillium purpurogenum, Pestalotiopsis palustris, Tetracoccosporium paxianum and Trichoderma koningii. These fungi were grown in liquid media to obtain crude extracts that were evaluated for their antibiotic activity against pathogenic bacteria, yeast and Cladosporium cladosporioides and A. flavus. The most active extract was obtained from L. theobromae (minimum inhibitory concentration = 64 μg/mL against Listeria monocitogenes). Some extracts showed to be more active than the positive control in the inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and L. monocitogenes. Therefore, propolis is a promising source of fungi, which produces active agents against relevant food poisoning bacteria and crop-associated fungi.

The biotransformation of 1R-(-)-camphorquinone, achieved by growing cells of four fungi species isolated from soil (Mucor plumbeus, Lecanicillium muscarium, Thamnostylum sp. and Syncephalastrum racemosum), was investigated in optimized culture media for each species. Fungi were grown aerobically under shaking and their activities with respect to camphorquinone were monitored for 20 days by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GCMS). Camphorquinone was found to be stable in control flasks throughout the experiment. The most interesting results were found for M. plumbeus, which was only able to perform monoreduction of camphorquinone when cultivated on a glucose-peptone-yeast extract medium. Large-scale experiments were set up and the camphorquinone biotransformation products formed by M. plumbeus were purified by column chromatography and identified by (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Theoretical calculations were employed as a complementary technique to unambiguously identify the biotransformation products. These findings suggest that M. plumbeus could be of great use for the selective reduction of camphorquinone and related compounds.

Clovane and isocaryolane derivatives have been proven to show several levels of activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Both classes of sesquiterpenes are reminiscent of biosynthetic intermediates of botrydial, a virulence factor of B. cinerea. Further development of both classes of antifungal agent requires exploration of the structure–activity relationships for the antifungal effects on B. cinerea and phytotoxic effects on a model crop. In this paper, we report on the preparation of a series of alkoxy-clovane and -isocaryolane derivatives, some of them described here for the first time (2b, 2d, 2f–2h, and 4c–4e); the evaluation of their antifungal properties against B. cinerea, and their phytotoxic activites on the germination of seeds and the growth of radicles and shoots of Lactuca sativa (lettuce). Both classes of compound show a correlation of antifungal activity with the nature of side chains, with the best activity against B. cinerea for 2d, 2h, 4c and 4d. In general terms, while 2-alkoxyclovan-9-ols (2a–2e) exert a general phytotoxic effect, this is not the case for 2-arylalkoxyclovan-9-ols (2f–2i) and 8-alkoxyisocaryolan-9-ols (4a–4d), where stimulating effects would make them suitable candidates for application to plants.