Isolation and identification of epithiodioxopiperazinic alkaloids, produced by the fungus Nectria inventa, and investigation of the chemical transformation of verticillin B in DMSO

• Grant number: 13/16404-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2013
• End date: October 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Roberto Gomes de Souza Berlinck
• Grantee: Priscila Roberta Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims the isolation of epithiodioxopiperazinic alkaloids produced in solid medium by the fungus Nectria inventa, in order to obtain significant quantities of verticillin B, a potent cytotoxic agent, as well as additional quantities of minor alkaloids, for which the structures have not yet been determined. Moreover, preliminary investigations demonstrated that verticillin B undergoes chemical transformations in DMSO. Therefore, the second step of the project aims to investigate the optimal conditions to perform such chemical transformations of verticillin B, aiming to obtain appropriate quantities of the verticillin B transformation products, to be isolated, identified and evaluated in cytotoxic activity assays.