An amendment of Aspergillus section Candidi based on chemotaxonomical evidence

A novel 2,2 '-epoxy-terphenyllin, candidusin C, in addition to the well kno wn secondary metabolites terphenyllin, 3-hydroxyterpenyllin and chlorflavon in, has been isolated from the chemically unexplored fungus Aspergillus cam pestris. The latter three are known secondary metabolites from Aspergillus candidus and therefore a large number of Aspergilli were screened for produ ction of these compounds to see whether they could be regarded as chemotaxo nomical indicators of section membership in the monotypic Aspergillus secti on Candidi. The results indicated that A. campestris and A. taichungensis s hould be placed in Candidi and this was further confirmed by morphological and physiological similarities. Three species outside the section Candidi p roduced candidusin related secondary metabolites: Aspergillus arenarius, A. ellipticus and Penicillium raistrickii. Chlorflavonin, however, was only f ound in section Candidi. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .