Penicillium is a genus of ascomycetous fungi that is part of the mycobiome of many species and is of major importance in the natural environment, in food spoilage, and in food and drug production.
Griseofulvin is an antifungal medication used to treat a number of types of dermatophytoses (ringworm). This includes fungal infections of the nails and scalp, as well as the skin when antifungal creams have not worked. It is taken by mouth.
Mycotoxicology is the branch of mycology that focuses on analyzing and studying the toxins produced by fungi, known as mycotoxins. In the food industry it is important to adopt measures that keep mycotoxin levels as low as practicable, especially those that are heat-stable. These chemical compounds are the result of secondary metabolism initiated in response to specific developmental or environmental signals. This includes biological stress from the environment, such as lower nutrients or competition for those available. Under this secondary path the fungus produces a wide array of compounds in order to gain some level of advantage, such as incrementing the efficiency of metabolic processes to gain more energy from less food, or attacking other microorganisms and being able to use their remains as a food source.
Penicillium citrinum is an anamorph, mesophilic fungus species of the genus of Penicillium which produces tanzawaic acid A-D, ACC, Mevastatin, Quinocitrinine A, Quinocitrinine B, and nephrotoxic citrinin. Penicillium citrinum is often found on moldy citrus fruits and occasionally it occurs in tropical spices and cereals. This Penicillium species also causes mortality for the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Because of its mesophilic character, Penicillium citrinum occurs worldwide. The first statin (Mevastatin) was 1970 isolated from this species.
Penicillium dierckxii is a species of the genus of Penicillium which produces citreoviridin and citrinin.
Penicillium flavigenum is a species of the genus of Penicillium which produces penitrem A, penicillin and roquefortine C.
Penicillium gorlenkoanum is a species of the genus of Penicillium which produces citrinin, costaclavine and epicostaclavine.
Penicillium janczewskii is an anamorph and filamentous species of the genus of Penicillium which was isolated from the rhizosphere of Vernonia herbacea. Penicillium janczewskii produces griseofulvin
Penicillium madriti is an anamorph species of the genus of Penicillium which produces orsellinic acid.
Penicillium megasporum is a species in the genus Penicillium which produces xanthomegin, verrucosidin, roquefortine C and penitrem A. Penicillium megasporum occurs in grain
Penicillium nalgiovense is an anamorph species of the genus Penicillium with lipolytic and proteolytic activity, which was first isolated from ellischau cheese. This species produces dichlorodiaportin, diaportinol, and diaportinic acid Penicillium nalgiovense is used for the maturation of certain fermented salami varieties and ham. In this process it protects the meat from colonization by other molds and bacteria
Penicillium novae-zelandiae is an anamorph species of fungus in the genus Penicillium which was isolated from the plant Festuca novae-zelandiae. Penicillium novae-zelandiae produces patulin, 3-hydroxybenzyl alcohol and gentisyl alcohol
Penicillium ochrochloron is a species of fungus in the genus Penicillium which produces penitrem A.
Penicillium roseopurpureum is an anamorph species of fungus in the genus Penicillium which produces Carviolin.
Penicillium rubrum is a species of fungus in the genus Penicillium which produces kojic acid, mitorubrin, mitorubrinol, rubratoxin A, rubratoxin B rubralactone, rubramin and occurs in grain corn and soybeans. Penicillium rubrum is similar to the species Penicillium chrysogenum.
Penicillium simplicissimum is an anamorph species of fungus in the genus Penicillium which can promote plant growth. This species occurs on food and its primary habitat is in decaying vegetations Penicillium simplicissimum produces verruculogene, fumitremorgene B, penicillic acid, viridicatumtoxin, decarestrictine G, decarestrictine L, decarestrictine H, decarestrictine I, decarestrictine K decarestrictine M, dihydrovermistatin, vermistatin and penisimplicissin
Penicillium tulipae is a species of fungus in the genus Penicillium which produces penicillic acid, roquefortine C, roquefortine D, terrestric acid, glandicoline A, glandicoline B, meleagrin, oxaline, penitrem A and epineoxaline.
Virotoxins are monocyclic peptides formed by at least five different compounds: alaviroidin, viroisin, deoxoviroisin, viroidin, and deoxoviroidin. The structure and biological activity of virotoxins are similar to that of phallotoxins, thus suggesting that virotoxins are biosynthetically derived from phallotoxins or share common precursor pathways. As with phallotoxins, virotoxins are not considered to have significant toxic effects after oral exposure. At the molecular level, like phallotoxins, they interact with actin, stabilizing the bonds between actin monomers and preventing microfilaments depolymerization. However, the ultraviolet-spectra of interaction between actin and virotoxins is different from that of actin-phallotoxins, suggesting a different molecular interaction. Virotoxins have a more flexible structure when compared with phallotoxins and the presence of two additional hydroxyl groups may provide different reactivity. The intraperitoneal LD50 of virotoxins in mice ranges from 1.0 to 5.1 mg/kg and their main toxicological feature is hemorrhagic hepatic necrosis caused by an interaction of the virotoxins with outer surface of the hepatocyte through unknown mechanisms. At this point, the role of virotoxins in human toxicity remains unclear, although due to its poor oral absorption, little clinical importance is given to this class of toxins.
Gregatin B is a metabolite of the fungi Cephalosporium gregatum and Aspergillus panamensis with the molecular formula C14H18O4 Gregatin B is a weak antibiotic. Gregatin B was discovered in 1982 and has been the subject of total synthesis.
