Antimalarial and cytotoxic depsidones from the fungus Chaetomium brasiliense.

Four new depsidones, mollicellins K-N (1-4), and six known depsidones, mollicellins B (5), C (6), E (7), F (8), H (9), and J (10), along with two known sterols were isolated from the fungus Chaetomium brasiliense. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data and chemical transformation. Among these isolates, 1-3, 5-7, and 10 exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Only 1 exhibited antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and antifungal activity against Candida albicans using in vitro assays. In addition, 1-10 showed cytotoxicity against the KB, BC1, NCI-H187, and five cholangiocarcinoma cell lines.