[Production and characterization of sterigmatocystin]

Two strains of Aspergillus versicolor producing ST at 550.8 mg.kg-1 substrate and 1160.8 mg.kg-1 substrate were selected to inoculate 4 kg solid ST-producing media. After 35 days stationary incubation at 28 degrees C in the dark, 2271.6 mg of pale-yellow needle-shaped crystals were isolated and purified from the culture with a procedure applying column chromatography and recrystallization method. The crystal was proved to be sterigmatocystin by spectroanalysis and some physico-chemical analysis. The purity of the final material obtained were more that 99.9% as shown by HPLC and TLC detection. With this procedure, ST was obtained at about one tenth of its commercial cost.