Bioactive and unusual steroids from Penicillium fungi

Penicillium fungi are represented by various species and can be found worldwide and thrive in a range of environments, such as in the soil, air, and indoors, and in marine environments, as well as food products. Chemical investigation of species of this genus has led to the discovery of compounds from several structural classes with varied bioactivities. As an example, this genus has been a source of bioactive and structurally unusual steroids. The scope of this short review is to cover specialized metabolites of the steroid class and the cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory as well as phytotoxic activities of these compounds. Other steroids that possess unusual structures, with significant bioactivity yet to determined, will also be discussed to further demonstrate the structural diversity of this compound class from Penicillium fungi, and hopefully inspire the further exploration of such compounds to uncover their activity.