Penicillium artemisinin

Nature has been a potential source of therapeutic agents for thousands of years. An impressive number of modem dmgs have been derived from natural sources. Over the last century, a number of top selling dmgs have been developed from natural products. Anticancer dmg vincristine from Vinca rosea, narcotic analgesic morphine from Papaver somniferum, antimalarial dmg artemisinin from Artemisia annua, anticancer dmg Taxol from Taxus brevifolia and antibiotic peniciUins from Penicillium ssp. are just a few examples. 

Lee et al. (1989) reported that deoxoartemisinin (284) and its 3a-hydroxy derivative (285) were obtained from the metabolites of artemisinin (283) incubated with Nocardia corallina and Penicillium chrysogenum (Figure 20.88). 

FIGURE 15.88 Biotransformation of artemisinin (283) by Aspergillus niger, Nocardia corallina, and Penicillium chrysogenum. 

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