IDENTIFICATION OF METABOLITES PRODUCED FROM ACRIDINE BY CUNNINGHAMELLA-ELEGANS

Mycelia of Cunninghamella elegans were incubated in liquid Sabouraud m edium containing 56 muM acridine. After 3 days, the culture medium was extracted with ethyl acetate and two metabolites were purified by hig h-performance liquid chromatography. Acridine trans-1,2-dihydrodiol an d 2-hydroxyacridine were identified by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, and proton nuclear magnetic reso nance spectroscopy. The data support a proposed pathway in which acrid ine is oxidized to a transient arene oxide, which is then hydrated to form the dihydrodiol or rearranged to form the phenol.