Microbial hydroxylation of bufalin by Cunninghamella blakesleana and Mucor spinosus

J Nat Prod. 2005 Apr;68(4):626-8. doi: 10.1021/np0500023.

Abstract

The microbial transformation of a cytotoxic bufadienolide, bufalin (1), was carried out using two strains of filamentous fungi. Cunninghamella blakesleana catalyzed the specific 12alpha-hydroxylation of bufalin and produced 12alpha-hydroxybufalin (2) and 7beta,12alpha-dihydroxybufalin (3) as the major metabolites, together with 7beta-hydroxybufalin (4) and 12beta-hydroxybufalin (5) in low yields. Two minor products were isolated from the culture broth of Mucor spinosus and were identified as 7beta,15alpha-dihydroxybufalin (6) and 5beta,7beta-dihydroxybufalin (7), respectively. Metabolites 2, 3, 6, and 7 are new compounds, and their structures were fully characterized by NMR and MS spectroscopy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biotransformation
  • Bufanolides / chemistry*
  • Bufanolides / metabolism
  • Cholenes / chemistry*
  • Cholenes / metabolism
  • Culture Techniques
  • Cunninghamella / metabolism*
  • Hydroxylation
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Molecular Structure
  • Mucor / metabolism*
  • Mycotoxins / chemistry*
  • Mycotoxins / metabolism
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular

Substances

  • Bufanolides
  • Cholenes
  • Mycotoxins
  • bufadienolide
  • bufalin