Sparticolins A–G, Biologically Active Oxidized Spirodioxynaphthalene Derivatives from the Ascomycete <i>Sparticola junci</i>

To explore the chemical diversity of metabolites from new species of Dothideomycetes, the ex-type strain of Sparticola junci was investigated. Seven highly oxygenated and functionalized spirodioxynaphthalene natural products incorporating carboxyalkylidene–cyclopentanoid (1–4), carboxyl-functionalized oxabicyclo[3.3.0]­octane (5–6), and annelated 2-cyclopentenone/δ-lactone (7) units, sparticolins A–G, were isolated from submerged cultures of the fungus. Their chemical structures including their relative (and absolute) configurations were established through spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses. Sparticolin B (2) exhibited inhibitory activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, and Staphylococcus aureus, while sparticolin G (7) showed antifungal activities against Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Mucor hiemalis. All other sparticolins were only weakly active against S. aureus and also showed weak activities against the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Compounds 2 and 7 also showed moderate cytotoxic activities against seven mammalian cell lines.