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Two novel compounds including a cyclohelminthol type polyketide (namely oxaleimide K, 1) and a maleimide derivative (namely peniroquefortine A, 2), and a new natural product (namely 2-(acetylamino)-N-[(1E)-2-phenylethenyl]-acetamide, 3), together with four known compounds (4–7), were isolated and identified from fungus Penicillium roqueforti, which was separated from the root soil of Hypericum beanii N. Robson collected from the Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei Province. Their structures including absolute configurations were mainly established by the NMR spectroscopy analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment. Compound 1 represents the second example of a cyclohelminthol type polyketide, which features a rare 6/6/5/5 tetracyclic system and a branched aliphatic chain containing a terminal olefin (oct-1-en-3-yl) moiety, and compound 2 possesses an unprecedented carbon skeleton that is uniquely defined by a maleimide moiety linked to the respective 4-methylene-2-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)-phenol and para-substituted aromatic moieties via the carbon-carbon bonds. Remarkably, the absolute configuration of a cyclohelminthol type polyketide as exemplified by compound 1 is determined by the single-crystal diffraction analysis for the first time, highlighting an E-configuration for the linkage of a succinimide moiety and a tetrahydrofuran moiety for 1 rather than a Z-configuration as previously reported in the biosynthesis study, which gives a new insight into the structural elucidation of this category of polyketides. Additionally, compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against multiple tumor cells, especially against the Farage and SU-DHL-2 cells (IC50 < 20 µM, 48 h). Further mechanism study revealed that compound 1 significantly induced cell cycle arrest in Farage and SU-DHL-2 cells by causing abnormal ROS level and triggering oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary native Se minerals that are appreciably coarser grained and vary morphologically than primary native Se minerals were observed in the abandoned dumps of the No. 3 and No. 4 orebodies of the Yutangba Se deposit, western Hubei Province, China. The secondary native Se minerals exhibit three crystal forms, namely prismatic, tabular, and granular. Based on geochemical and mineralogical data, the secondary native Se minerals are interpreted to have resulted from natural oxidation of selenide minerals in the primary Se ores, or from vaporization of Se caused by burning of 'stone coal' (a highly carbonaceous mudstone) during the production of lime. The occurrence of secondary native Se minerals in the deposit would be helpful not only to further study on mineralogy, ore geochemistry and environmental geochemistry of Se, but also to improve the technology of reclaiming Se from the black rock series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine undescribed eremophilane sesquiterpenes, one undescribed guaiane sesquiterpene, along with ten known analogues were isolated and identified from fungus Penicillium roqueforti , which was separated from the root soil of Hypericum beanii N. Robson collected from the Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei Province. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of various spectroscopic analyses, mainly including NMR and HRESIMS data, 13C NMR calculations with DP4+ probability analyses, ECD calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. Furthermore, all twenty compounds were evaluated for the in vitro cytotoxic activities against seven human tumor cell lines, and the result suggested that 14-hydroxymethylene-1(10)-ene- epi -guaidiol A exhibited considerable cytotoxic activity against the Farage (IC 50 < 10 μM, 48 h), SU-DHL-2, and HL-60 cells. Further mechanism study demonstrated that 14-hydroxymethylene-1(10)-ene- epi -guaidiol A could significantly promote apoptosis by inhibiting tumor cell respiration and decreasing intracellular ROS levels, thereby inducing S-phase blockade in tumor cells. Nine undescribed eremophilane sesquiterpenes, one undescribed guaiane sesquiterpene, and ten known analogues were isolated from Penicillium roqueforti. 14-Hydroxymethylene-1(10)-ene- epi -guaidiol A could significantly promote apoptosis by inhibiting tumor cell respiration and decreasing intracellular ROS levels, thereby inducing S-phase blockade in tumor cells. [Display omitted] • Ten undescribed sesquiterpenes were isolated from Penicillium roqueforti. • Their structures were elucidated by DP4+ analyses, ECD calculations, and crystallography. • 14-Hydroxymethylene-1(10)-ene- epi -guaidiol A showed cytotoxic effect against Farage cells. • 14-Hydroxymethylene-1(10)-ene- epi -guaidiol A induced S-phase blockade in tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]