A new cytotoxic tetralone derivative from Humicola grisea, a filamentous fungus from wood in the southeastern lagoon of New Caledonia

Humicolone, a new phenolic tetralone in acetal form, was isolated, together with a known phenolic tetralone, from cultures of Humicola grisea Traaen, a hyphomycete taken from drifting wood in the southeastern lagoon of New Caledonia. Humicolone, determined from MTPA esters to have absolute configuration 1′R,3S,4S, showed cytotoxicity on KB cell lines, with IC50 values between 1 and 5 ppm. Another unidentified filamentous fungus, also from drifting wood in a nearby New Caledonian marine area, gave phosphatidyl cholines and, unusually for fungi, a bisabolane sesquiterpene.