Isolation, identification and toxicological characterization of TSS 1, a new mycotoxin of the rosenane class

11-β-hydroxy-7-deoxy-rosenonolactone (TSS1), a product of the pathogenic fungusTrichothecium roseum (Moniliaceae) was isolated from culture medium extracts and completely described in its structure by spectroscopical methods.TSS 1 was classified as a representative of the lactone series of the rosenane class and as a structural isomer to Rosenololactone (1) and Rosololactone (2, 3).TSS1 showed toxic effects in the growth inhibition test toE coli (EC 50: lOμg/mL) andB subtil is (EC 50: 17μg/mL), inhibited fermentation of yeast (EC 50: 2.8μg/mL) and suppressed motility ofAnemia satina larvae (EC 50: 45/μg/mL).Rosenonolactone, the best known representative of that mycotoxin class, showed only a very weak biological activity (EC 50: 200μg/mL), despite the high degree of structural similarity compared to TSS1. This investigation demonstrates that a small difference in the chemical structure between two metabolites of the same organism can strongly enhance the toxicity of a substance.