title: Microbial transformations of alpha-santonin.
abstract: Fungal biotransformations of alpha-santonin (1) were conducted with Mucor plumbeus (ATCC 4740), Cunninghamella bainieri (ATCC 9244), Cunninghamella echinulata (ATCC 9245), Curvularia lunata (ATCC 12017) and Rhizopus stolonifer (ATCC 10404). Rhizopus stolonifer (ATCC 10404) metabolized compound 1 to afford 3,4-epoxy-alpha-santonin (2) and 4,5-dihydro-alpha-santonin (3) while Cunninghamella bainieri (ATCC 9244), Cunninghamella echinulata (ATCC 9245) and Mucor plumbeus (ATCC 4740) were capable of metabolizing compound 1 to give a reported metabolite, 1,2-dihydro-alpha-santonin (4). The structures of these transformed metabolites were established with the aid of extensive spectroscopic studies. These fungi regiospecifically reduced the carbon-carbon double bond in ring A of alpha-santonin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 2E9. a.ata@uwinnipeg.ca
authors.forename: Athar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ata
authors.forename: Jason A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Nachtigall
mesh_terms: D001711:Biotransformation; D020093:Cunninghamella / Q000378:metabolism*; D009089:Mucor / Q000378:metabolism*; D012233:Rhizopus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012500:Santonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D012500:Santonin