Novel DPPH radical scavengers, demethylbisorbibutenolide and trichopyrone, from a fungus

In our screening program for antioxidants with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging activity, two novel compounds, demethylbisorbibutenolide (1) and trichopyrone (2), were isolated from the fermentation broth of the fungus of USF-4860 strain isolated from a soil sample. The structures of these compounds were determined from spectroscopic evidence. The biosynthetic origin of the carbon atoms of 2 was unambiguously determined by feeding experiments using (13)C-labeled precursors and elucidation of the (13)C-NMR spectrum of (13)C-labeled 2. These studies showed that 2 was derived from five acetates and a methyl group of methionine. In the DPPH-radical scavenging assay, 1 and 2 gave ED(50) values of 149 and 167 muM after standing for 2.0 hr. Compound 2 reacted with the DPPH radical to form reaction product 3 which was determined to be 1-4-(3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-6-{1,3-pentadienyl}-2,4-dioxo-2H-pyran-3-yl)-phenyl]-1-phenyl-2-picrylhydrazine from spectroscopic evidence.