Trichodermaerin: a diterpene lactone from Trichoderma asperellum

Abstract

The title compound, C20H28O3, known as `trichodermaerin' [systematic name: (4E)-4,9,15,16,16-pentamethyl-6-oxatetracyclo[10.3.1.01,10.05,9]hexadec-4-ene-7,13-dione], is a diterpene lactone which was isolated from Trichoderma asperellum. The structure has a tetracycic 6–5–7–5 ring system, with the cyclohexanone ring adopting a twisted half-chair conformation and the cyclopentane ring adopting a half-chair conformation, whereas the cycloheptene and tetrahydrofurananone rings are in chair and envelope (with the methyl-substituted C atom as the flap) conformations, respectively. The three-dimensional architecture is stabilized by C—H...O interactions.