The metabolites of the mycobiont culture of the lichen Trypethelium eluteriae were isolated by column chromatography and preparative TLC. Nine compounds (1-9) including two new trypethelones, 8-methoxytrypethelone (6) and 5'-hydroxy-8-ethoxytrypethelone (9), together with four known trypethelones (3-4, 7-8), and two known phenalenones (1-2) were characterized. It is the first report of 8-methoxytrypethelone methyl ether (5) purification as a racemic mixture in T. eluteriae. Earlier, 7-hydroxyl-8-methoxyltrypethelone (10) was reported as new compound with erroneous spectroscopic data. This compound was identified later as 8-hydroxytrypethelone methyl ether (4). X-ray crystallographic structures of compounds 5-7 were elucidated for the first time. Phenalenones (1-2) and trypethelones (5-6 and 9) were the additional compounds discovered in the cultured mycobiont of T. eluteriae. Six compounds (1-2, 5-8) were screened against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and two compounds (7-8) against non-tuberculosis mycobacteria and other human pathogenic bacteria. Compound (7) inhibited M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain with an MIC of 12.5 µg/mL.
Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv; Trypetheliaceae; Trypethelium eluteriae; mycobiont culture; phenalenone; trypethelone.