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From the organic extract of Lavandula stoechas, a Mediterranean native plant species, two new phytotoxic copaane sesquiterpenoids were isolated and named stoechanones A and B (1and 2). They were obtained together with the methyl esters of caffeic and p-coumaric acids and the flavonoid apigenin (3–5, respectively). The structures of stoechanones A and B were determined by spectroscopic (essentially 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR and HRESIMS) and chemical methods, and they were characterized as 9,10-dihydroxy-8-isopropyl-1,5-dimethyltricyclo[4.4.0.02.7]dec-4-en-3-one and its 9-O-acetyl derivative. Their relative configurations were assigned by NOESY experiments, and the absolute configurations by comparison of the experimental and DFT-computed ECD spectra. When assayed through Petri dish bioassays, both stoechanones A and B showed phytotoxic effects against seed germination and seedling growth of Amaranthus retroflexus, strongly inhibiting seed germination percentage and radicle and hypocotyl lengths of seedlings. Owing to the herbicidal activity toward A. retroflexus, these two new tricyclic sesquiterpenoids could be proposed and developed as natural bioherbicides in order to increase the control of this problematic weed in the future.

Different phytotoxic metabolites were isolated from the organic extract of Neofusicoccum luteum, Neofusicoccum australe, and Neofusicoccum parvum, causal agents of Botryosphaeria dieback in Australia. N. luteumproduced a new disubstituted furo-α-pyrone, a hexasubstituted anthraquinone, and a trisubstituted oxepi-2(7H)-one, luteopyroxin (4), neoanthraquinone (5), and luteoxepinone (7), respectively, together with the known (±)-nigrosporione (6), tyrosol (8), (R)-(−)-mellein (1), and (3R,4S)-(−)- and (3R,4R)-(−)-4-hydroxymellein (2and 3). The three melleins and tyrosol were also produced by N. parvum, while N. australeproduced (R)-(−)-mellein (1), neoanthraquinone (5), tyrosol (8), and p-cresol (9). Luteopryoxin (4), neoanthraquinone (5), and luteoxepinone (7) were characterized by analyses of physical data, essentially one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The relative and absolute configurations of luteopyroxin (4) were determined by nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy and experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism data. When assayed on grapevine leaves, neoanthraquinone (5) showed the highest toxic effect, causing severe shriveling and withering. Luteopyroxin (4), nigrosporione (6), and luteoxepinone (7) also showed different degrees of toxicity, while p-cresol (9) displayed low phytotoxicity.

The absolute configuration (AC) of the bioactive metabolites phyllostin (1) and scytolide (2), two hexahydro-1,4-benzodioxines produced by Phyllosticta cirsii, and oxysporone (3), a dihydrofuropyranone recently isolated from a strain of Diplodia africana, has been assigned by computational analysis of their optical rotatory dispersion (ORD), electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra. Computational prediction of ORD, ECD, and VCD allowed us to assign (3S,4aR,8S,8aR) AC to naturally occurring (−)-1, while (4aR,8S,8aR) AC was assigned to (−)-2employing only ECD and VCD, because in this case ORD analysis turned out to be unsuitable for AC assignment. Theoretical prediction of both ORD and ECD spectra of 3led to assignment of (4S,5R,6R) AC to (+)-3. In this case a satisfactory agreement between experimental and calculated VCD spectra was obtained only after taking into account solvent effects. This study shows that in the case of flexible and complex natural products only a concerted application of more than a single chiroptical technique permits unambiguous assignment of absolute configuration.

Ascochyta lentisvar. lathyrihas recently been reported to be the causal agent of Ascochyta blight of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus), a disease characterized by the appearance of necrotic lesions of leaves and stems. Considering the novelty of the pathogen and the possible involvement of secondary metabolites in symptom appearance, a study was carried out to ascertain the capability of this fungus to produce bioactive metabolites. Some phytotoxic phenols were isolated from the culture filtrates of the fungus. In particular, two new phytotoxic metabolites, named lathyroxins A and B, were characterized by spectroscopic methods as 4-(2-hydroxy-3,3-dimethoxypropyl)phenol and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane-1,2-diol, respectively, and the Rabsolute configuration of C-2 of their 2-dimethoxy- and 2,3-diol-propyl side chain was assigned. Moreover, other well-known fungal metabolites, namely, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-methoxyphenol, and tyrosol, were also identified. Lathyroxins A and B showed interesting phytotoxic properties, being able to cause necrosis on leaves and to inhibit seed germination and rootlet elongation. Moreover, both of the new metabolites had no effect against bacteria, arthropods, and nematodes.

The fungal pathogen Cochliobolus australiensisisolated from infected leaves of the invasive weed buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) was grown in vitro to evaluate its ability to produce phytotoxic metabolites that could potentially be used as natural herbicides against this weed. Two new tetrasubstituted 3-chromanonacrylic acids, named chloromonilinic acids C (1) and D (2), were isolated from the liquid cultures of C. australiensis, together with the known chloromonilinic acid B. Chloromonilinic acids C and D were characterized by spectroscopic and chemical methods as (E)-3-chloro-3-[(5-hydroxy-3-(1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)-7-methyl-4-oxo-4H-chromen-2-yl)]acrylic acid and (Z)-3-chloro-3-[(5-hydroxy-3-(2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)-7-methyl-4-oxo-4H-chromen-2-yl)]acrylic acid, respectively. The stereochemistry of chloromonilinic acids C and D was determined using a combination of spectroscopic and computational methods, including electronic circular dichroism. The fungus produced these compounds in two different liquid media together with cochliotoxin, radicinin, radicinol, and their 3-epimers. The radicinin-related compounds were also produced when the fungus was grown in wheat seed solid culture, but chloromonilinic acids were not found in the solid culture organic extract. All three chloromonilinic acids were toxic to buffelgrass in a seedling elongation bioassay, with significantly delayed germination and dramatically reduced radicle growth, especially at a concentration of 5 × 10–3M.

Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliareor Cenchrus ciliaris) is a perennial grass that has become highly invasive in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona. In the search for novel control strategies against this weed, strains of the foliar fungal pathogen Cochliobolus australiensisfrom buffelgrass have been screened for their ability to produce phytotoxic metabolites that could potentially be used as natural herbicides in an integrated pest management strategy. A new phytotoxin, named cochliotoxin, was isolated from liquid culture of this fungus together with radicinin, radicinol, and their 3-epimers. Cochliotoxin was characterized, essentially by spectroscopic methods, as 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-7-(3-methyloxiranyl)-2,3-dihydropyrano[4,3-b]pyran-4,5-dione. Its relative stereochemistry was assigned by 1H NMR techniques, while the absolute configuration (2S,3S) was determined applying the advanced Mosher’s method by esterification of its hydroxy group at C-3. When bioassayed in a buffelgrass coleoptile elongation test and by leaf puncture bioassay against the host weed and two nontarget grasses, cochliotoxin showed strong phytotoxicity. In the same tests, radicinin and 3-epi-radicinin also showed phytotoxic activity, while radicinol and 3-epi-radicinol were largely inactive. All five compounds were more active in leaf puncture bioassays on buffelgrass than on the nontarget grass tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus), while the nontarget grass Arizona cottontop (Digitaria californica) was more sensitive to radicinin and 3-epi-radicinin. Cochliotoxin at low concentration was significantly more active on buffelgrass than on either native grass, but the difference was small.

Two new diterpenoid α-pyrones, named higginsianins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the mycelium of the fungus Colletotrichum higginsianumgrown in liquid culture. They were characterized as 3-[5a,9b-dimethyl-7-methylene-2-(2-methylpropenyl)dodecahydronaphtho[2,1-b]furan-6-ylmethyl]-4-hydroxy-5,6-dimethylpyran-2-one and 4-hydroxy-3-[6-hydroxy-5,8a-dimethyl-2-methylene-5-(4-methylpent-3-enyl)decahydronaphthalen-1-ylmethyl]-5,6-dimethylpyran-2-one, respectively, by using NMR, HRESIMS, and chemical methods. The structure and relative configuration of higginsianin A (1) were confirmed by X-ray diffractometric analysis, while its absolute configuration was assigned by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) experiments and calculations using a solid-state ECD/TDDFT method. The relative and absolute configuration of higginsianin B (2), which did not afford crystals suitable for X-ray analysis, were determined by NMR analysis and by ECD in comparison with higginsianin A. 1and 2were the C-8 epimers of subglutinol A and diterpenoid BR-050, respectively. The evaluation of 1and 2for antiproliferative activity against a panel of six cancer cell lines revealed that the IC50values, obtained with cells reported to be sensitive to pro-apoptotic stimuli, are by more than 1 order of magnitude lower than their apoptosis-resistant counterparts (1 vs >80 μM). Finally, three hemisynthetic derivatives of 1were prepared and evaluated for antiproliferative activity. Two of these possessed IC50values and differential sensitivity profiles similar to those of 1.

A new phytotoxic geranylcyclohexenetriol, named phomentrioloxin, was isolated from the liquid culture of Phomopsissp., a fungal pathogen proposed for the biological control of Carthamus lanatus, a widespread and troublesome thistle weed belonging to the Asteraceae family causing severe crop and pastures losses in Australia. The structure of phomentrioloxin was established by spectroscopic, X-ray, and chemical methods as (1S,2S,3S,4S)-3-methoxy-6-(7-methyl-3-methylene-oct-6-en-1-ynyl)cyclohex-5-ene-1,2,4-triol. At a concentration of 6.85 mM, the toxin causes the appearance of necrotic spots when applied to leaves of both host and nonhost plants. It also causes growth and chlorophyll content reduction of fronds of Lemna minorand inhibition of tomato rootlet elongation. Finally, in preliminary bioassays, phomentrioloxin did not show any antibacterial, fungicidal, or zootoxic activities.

Sphaeropsidin A, the main phytotoxin produced by Diplodia cupressi, as well as the two natural analogues sphaeropsidins B and C and 14 derivatives obtained by chemical modifications were assayed for antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzaepv. oryzae, Pseudomonas fuscovaginae, and Burkholderia glumae, the causal agents of severe bacterial rice diseases. The results showed a strong and specific activity of sphaeropsidin A against X. oryzaepv. oryzae, while no activity was observed against the other two pathogens. The results of structure–activity relationship studies showed that structural features important to impart this antibacterial activity are the presence of the C-7 carbonyl group and the hemiketalic lactone functionality. The C-13 vinyl group, the double bond of ring C, and/or the tertiary C-9 hydroxy group, as well as the pimarane arrangement of the tricylic carbon skeleton, were also important for the antibacterial activity. These findings may be useful in designing novel compounds for practical applications in agriculture.

Stagonospora cirsii, a fungal pathogen isolated from Cirsium arvenseand proposed as a potential mycoherbicide of this perennial noxious weed, produces phytotoxic metabolites in liquid and solid cultures. Recently, the main metabolite, stagonolide ( 1), with interesting phytotoxic properties, was isolated from a liquid culture and characterized as a new nonenolide. In the present work this same fungus, grown in solid culture, exhibited an increased capacity to produce nonenolides. Five new nonenolides, named stagonolides B−F ( 2– 6), were isolated and characterized using spectroscopic methods. When tested by a leaf disk puncture assay at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, these compounds showed no toxicity to C. arvenseand Sonchus arvensis, whereas stagonolide ( 1) was highly toxic. Stagonolide ( 1) and stagonolide C ( 3) were weakly toxic to Colpoda steinii, a protozoan, when tested at 0.05 mg/mL, with the other stagonolides nontoxic. A number of structure–activity relationship observations were made.