Secondary metabolites characteristic of Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium steckii and related species.

Two new carboxylic acids, tanzawaic acid E (1) and F (2) in addition to the unknown benzopyran 3,7-dimethyl-1,8-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-isochroman (3), and the known mycotoxin 3,7-dimethyl-8-hydroxy-6-methoxyisochroman (4) were produced by a marine-derived strain of Penicillium steckii isolated from an unidentified tunicate. The carboxylic acids and the benzopyran were identified on the basis of mass spectrometry, and one and two dimensional NMR spectroscopic techniques. The structures 1 and 2 resemble tanzawaic acid A-D, previously isolated from Penicillium citrinum. Screening of isolates of species related to P. citrinum and P. steckii showed that P. citrinum (25 isolates) consistently produced citrinin and tanzawaic acid A, P. steckii (18 isolates) produced isochroman toxins (except 2) and tanzawaic acid E, P. sizovae consistently produced tanzawaic acid A, P. corylophilum (10 isolates) produced citreoisocoumarinol and P. sumatrense (15 isolates) always produced curvularin.