A CHEMOTAXONOMIC STUDY OF THE TERVERTICILLATE PENICILLIA BASED ON HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY OF SECONDARY METABOLITES

Isolates of terverticillate Penicillium taxa were examined for product ion of secondary metabolites. The secondary metabolites were analysed by reversed phase HPLC with diode array detection (DAD) and each metab olite was characterized by its retention index (RI) and uv-VIS spectru m. Secondary metabolites with closely related uv-VIS spectra were plac ed in a chromophore family and a total of 216 different chromophore fa milies was observed. The 279 objects times 216 binary variables matrix was analysed using average linkage clustering (UPGMA), using several different distance coefficients. The Yule coefficient and the Jaccard coefficient were found to be a very good combination of distance coeff icients when analysing binary secondary metabolite data. Profiles of c hromophore families of secondary metabolites allowed a clear separatio n of P. arenicola, P. lanosum, P. nalgiovense and P. oralicum and the terverticillate taxa proposed earlier. A separation of P. commune and P. verrucosum into chemotypes as earlier suggested was not observed. T wo new taxa should be described based on distinct profiles of chromoph ore families of secondary metabolites. Some taxa were shown to have a marginal position among the terverticillate penicillia. Other taxa clu stered in groups indicating natural series.