Austin, dehydroaustin and other metabolites from Penicillium brasilianum

A culture of P. brasilianum, isolated from soil collected at the Serra do Cipó National Park, in Minas Gerais State (Brazil), was grown for 25 days on a dextrose-peptone-salts medium. The corresponding ethylacetate extract was column chromatographed and four compounds were isolated: austin, dehydroaustin, D-mannitol and penicillic acid. This is, in the best of our knowledge, the first time that the meroterpenes austin and dehydroaustin have been isolated from this species. Activity of the extract and isolated compounds was tested against six bacteria and for acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Penicillic acid showed high activity in both tests.