Concentricol, a taxonomically significant triterpenoid from Daldinia concentrica

In the course of a chemotaxonomic study of xylariaceous Ascomycetes, a majo r metabolite was isolated and identified from the ascostromata of Daldinia concentrica. The compound, for which the name concentricol is proposed, con stitutes a highly oxidised squalene derivative. A survey of several Daldini a spp. from around the world (including several type materials), employing analytical HPLC-UV/Vis (with diode array detection) and positive electrospr ay HPLC-MS of stromatal MeOH extracts revealed that concentricol was omnipr esent in the stromata of D. concentrica, as well as in those of several col lections of the pantropical Daldinia eschscholzii. All other investigated D aldinia spp. were found devoid of concentricol but contained binaphthalenes , benzophenomes and/or azaphilones as further taxonomically relevant main m etabolites. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.