Asperfuran

Asperfuran is a fungal metabolite originally isolated from A. oryzae that has antifungal and anticancer activities. It inhibits the growth of 23 fungi in a disc assay when used at a concentration of 50 μg per disc. Asperfuran inhibits chitin synthase with an IC₅₀ value of 300 μM. It inhibits proliferation of HeLa S3 and L1210 cancer cells (IC₅₀s = 25 μg/ml for both).

Asperfuran is an antifungal dihydrobenzofuran derivative produced by a strain of Aspergillus oryzae. Asperfuran weakly inhibits chitin synthase from Coprinus cinereus. Asperfuran shows weak cytotoxicity In HeLa S3 and L1210 cells with an IC50 of 25 μg/ml[1].

[1] Pfefferle W, et al. Asperfuran, a novel antifungal metabolite from Aspergillus oryzae. J Antibiot (Tokyo). 1990;43(6):648-654. DOI:10.7164/antibiotics.43.648