Purification, identification and activity of phomodione, a furandione from an endophytic Phoma species

Phomodione, [(4aS(*),9bR(*))-2,6-diacetyl-7-hydroxy-4a,9-dimethoxy-8,9b-dimethyl-4a.9b-dihydrodibenzo[b,d]furan-1,3(2H,4H)-dione], an usnic acid derivative, was isolated from culture broth of a Phoma species, discovered as an endophyte on a Guinea plant (Saurauia scaberrinae). It was identified using NMR, X-ray crystallography, high resolution mass spectrometry, as well as infrared and Raman spectroscopy. In addition to phomodione, usnic acid and cercosporamide, known compounds with antibiotic activity, were also found in the culture medium. Phomodione exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration of 1.6 microg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus using the disk diffusion assay, and was active against a representative oomycete, ascomycete and basidiomycete at between three and eight micro-grams per mL.