Bioactive diphenyl ether derivatives from a gorgonian-derived fungus Talaromyces sp.

Three new diphenyl ether derivatives, talaromycins A-C (1-3, resp.), together with six known analogs, 4-9, were isolated from a gorgonian-derived fungus, Talaromyces sp. The structures of the new compounds were determined by analysis of extensive NMR spectroscopic data. All of the isolated metabolites, 1-9, were evaluated for their cytotoxic and antifouling activities. Compound 4 exhibited pronounced cytotoxicity against the tested human cell lines with the IC50 values ranging from 4.3 to 9.8 μM. Compounds 3, 5, 8, and 9 showed potent antifouling activities against the larval settlement of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite with the EC50 values ranging from 2.2 to 4.8 μg/ml.