METABOLITES OF THE HONEY MUSHROOM, ARMILLARIA-MELLEA

The fungus Armillaria mellea (Vahl ex. Fr.) Kummer is responsible for severe losses in timber and fruit production. The metabolites isolated when certain strains of this fungus are grown in liquid culture have been identified as diterpenoid acids possessing the abietane (1) and pimarane (2) skeletons. These compounds, known collectively as resin acids, have not been reported previously from a fungal source. In addition to the resin acids dehydroabietic acid (3), pimaric acid (4), isopimaric acid (5), and sandaracopimaric acid (6), three additional acids, levopimaric acid endo-peroxide (7), 7-oxodehydroabietic acid (9), and 7-oxo-15-hydroxydehydroabietic acid (10) were obtained. On one occasion three orange pigments, austocystin F (11), averufin (12), and averufanin (13), all previously known fungal metabolites, were isolated.