CYTOTOXICITY OF SOME TRANSFORMATION PRODUCTS OF DIACETOXYSCIRPENOL

The cytotoxicity of eighteen relatives and transformation products of diacetoxyscirpenol, an important mycotoxin from Fusarium sp. implicated in mouldy corn toxicosis and fescue foot disease of cattle, has been investigated. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that toxicity is associated with the presence of the 12, 13-epoxytrichothecane nucleus, but other molecular features contribute to the manifestation of high toxicity. A method for the detoxication of diacetoxyscirpenol follows from the observation that non-toxic products result from the acid-catalysed re-arrangement of the 12, 13-epoxytrichothec-9-ene nucleus to the 10 → 13-cyclotrichothecane or apotrichothec-9-ene systems. © 1969.