Structural Characterisation of Metabolites from

Three compounds of different biosynthetic origin were isolated from the fruiting bodies of the gilled mushroom Pholiota spumosa (Basidiomycetes, Strophariaceae). Fasciculol E, a lanostane triterpenoid conjugated to a depsipeptide unit, was isolated for the first time from genus Pho-liota. In addition, the first isolation of putrescine-1,4-dicinnamamide as a natural compound is reported: its structure was established by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and by spectroscopic methods. Crystallographic analysis indicated the presence of a co-crystallised related dicinnam-amide, namely the new compound (E)-2,3-dehydroputrescine-1,4-dicinnamamide, whose occur-rence was confirmed by LC-MS analysis. An interesting evolutionary issue arises, following the observation that the cinnamamides produced by Pholiota spumosa bear an unsubstituted benzene ring, contrarily to those found in plants, which have always phenolic functionalities, and as such perform a variety of biological roles. Key words Pholiota spumos