Isolation of Citreoviridin from Penicillium charlesii Cultures and Molded Pecan Fragments

The extraction and systematic fractionation of Penicillium charlesii Smith cultures and contaminated pecan fragments yielded the yellow mycotoxin citreoviridin. Citreoviridin proved acutely toxic to 1-day-old chickens, with an oral 50% lethal dose of 37.5 mg/kg, and showed plant growth inhibition in wheat coleoptiles even at concentrations as low as 10⁻⁴ M. It was toxic to corn seedlings but did not affect young tobacco seedlings.