Isolation and characterization of two new fusaric acid analogs from Fusarium moniliforme NRRL 13,163

Fusarium moniliforme NRRL 13,163 produced two new fusaric acid analogs, a 10,11-dihydroxyfusaric acid and a diacid of fusaric acid in which the C-11 methyl was oxidized to a carboxyl. Several hundred milligrams of the 10,11-dihydroxyfusaric acid were routinely recovered from a kilogram of corn grit medium. It crystallized as white, irregularly shaped rectangles that melted at 153 to 154 degrees C. The diacid analog of fusaric acid crystallized as white rods that melted at 210 to 211 degrees C. Unlike the consistent recovery experienced with the 10,11-dihydroxyfusaric acid, the diacid analog proved difficult to purify after the initial discovery and was detectable in subsequent fermentations only by mass spectrometry.