The resolution of synthetic (+/-)-isovelleral (1), via chromatographic
separation of the two diastereomers of the (-)-menthoxyacetic acid di
ester of the corresponding (+/-)-diol (3), yielded both enantiomers of
the bioactive fungal metabolite (+)-isovelleral (1). While the antimi
crobial and cytotoxic activities of the two enantiomers are comparable
, natural (+)-1 is approximately 10 times more mutagenic towards Ames'
tester strain TA98 than (-)-1. The two enantiomers of the cyclopropan
e ring isomer 2 also possess negligible mutagenicity compared to (+)-1
. Both (+)-1 and (-)-1 have the same affinity for the vanilloid recept
or, but significant different affinity for the dopamine D1 receptor. (
C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.