Metabolic products of microorganisms. 185. The anthraquinones of the Aspergillus glaucus group. I. Occurrence, isolation, identification and antimicrobial activity.

The occurrence of emodin, erythroglaucin, physcion, physcion-9-anthrone, questin, catenarin, and catenarin-8-methyl ether in different species of the Aspergillus glaucus group (genus Eurotium) was investigated. So far catenarin-8-methyl ether (1, 4, 6-trihydroxy-8-methoxy-3-methylanthraquinone) has not been described as a natural product; it was therefore given the name rubrocristin. The chemical and physical properties of rubrocristin are reported. In addition a new violet pigment (C16H12O5) was isolated and characterized by its MS-, IR- and UV-spectra. The antimicrobial properties of all substances were examined in the agar diffusion assay. Gram-positive bacteria were the most sensitive organisms and catenarin was the most active naturally occurring substance. Synthetically obtained 1, 4, 6, 8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone was slightly more active than catenarin, whereas rubrocristin showed no antibacterial activity.