Novel neuroprotective hydroquinones with a vinyl alkyne from the fungus, Pestalotiopsis microspora

New hydroquinone derivatives bearing a vinyl alkyne, pestalotioquinols A and B, were isolated from a fungal culture broth of Pestalotiopsis microspora. The structures of these novel compounds were determined by interpretation of spectroscopic data (1D/2D NMR, MS, and IR), and the absolute configuration of the stereogenic center of pestalotioquinol A was assigned using the modified Mosher’s method. Nerve growth factor-differentiated neuronal PC12 cells were pretreated with pestalotioquinols A and B and removed from the medium, and then treated with a generator of peroxynitrite (ONOO^–), a reactive nitrogen species, to induce cell death. The cytotoxicity of the treated cells was assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase leakage. As a result, 1–3 μM pretreatment of pestalotioquinols A and B rescued neuronal PC12 cells from peroxynitrite-induced cytotoxicity and the protective activity was sustained after removing each compound from the medium. These results demonstrate that pestalotioquinol derivatives are a new class of hydroquinones possessing a vinyl alkyne and exhibiting relatively high neuroprotective effects.