Pigments from fungi

Gill, M., and Gimenez, A. (1990). Pigments of fungi. 18. The dermocanarins, unique macro-cyclic lactones from the fungus Dermocybe canaria. Tetrahedron Lett. 31, 3505-3508. 

Dimeric hydroxyanthracenones have been isolated from Cassia sp and the fungi Dermocibes sp and Cortinarius sp by other researchers. Although there are many papers describing different types of pigments isolated from fungi, such descriptions have been for taxonomic aims and not for investigating their biological activity. 

The phenoxazine moiety occurs in pigments of fungi, lichen and butterflies, and also in the ommochromes which are responsible for the colour of the pigments in some insects. Xanthommatin 36, which contains a quinonoid phenoxazone chromophore isolated from the secretion of the fox-moth, serves as an example ... 

Additives are used to change the properties of the dry film coating and/or the liquid paint. Several examples include thickeners (used to make the paint thicker and easier to apply), dispersants (used to separate pigment particles), and fungicides (used to protect exterior paint coatings from fungi). 

Gill, M., A. Gimenez, and R.W. McKenzie Pigments of Fungi 8. Bianthraquin-ones from Dermocybe austroveneta (Cleland) Moser. Submitted for publication. 

Gill, M., A. Gim6nez, and R.J. Strauch Pigments of Fungi 7. 6-Nitro-w< -vanillic Acid, an Unusual Chromogen from the Genus Cortinarius. Phytochem., in press. 

Fig. 1. A generalized scheme showing the kinds of secondary products that arise from the aromatic amino acids in higher plants. Several similarities are found in fungi and bacteria some fungi produce alkaloids ftom tryptophan and lignin-like materials from phenylalanine. Plant pathogenic fungi produce cinnamate and para and meta hydroxy phenyl-acetate from phenylalanine. Certain bacteria produce antibiotics and fluorescent pigments from metabolites in the shikimate pathway. Microorganisms are not known to produce coumarin, substituted coumarins, flavonoids and isoflavonoids.

Tyrosiaase occurs in lower animals, especially meal-worms, in many plants, notably clover, potato, and higher fungi. It catalyses the oxidation of the amino acid tyrosine with the production of a red pigment which turns black and becomes insoluble, in which condition it is called melanin. Tyrosinase is believed to function in the formation of natural pigments from tyrosine, and also in the metabolism of the amino acid in lower organisms. 

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