The isolation and some chemical properties of viridicatin, a metabolic product of Penicillium viridicatum Westling

Abstract

The air-dried mycelium of P. viridicatum (strain F. 22 of the Departmental collection) was shown to contain a hitherto undescribed compound (viridicatin) and mannitol. Subsequent expts. after some years with the same strain of P. viridicatum gave very poor yields of viridicatin. Two other strains failed to give viridicatin in a variety of media. Viridicatin was shown to have the molecular formula C15H11O2N, in which 1 oxygen atom is present as a phenolic hydroxyl group, while the other may be present in a cyclic amide. The molecule is of a polycyclic aromatic nature. Seven derivatives of viridicatin are descr., but insufficient material was available for degradation work. Viridicatin showed slight antibiotic activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro.