Novel polyene carboxylic acids from Streptomyces

Reinvestigation of the production of the unusual polyene carboxylic acid serpentene (1a) from Streptomyces sp. Tu 3851 revealed the presence of additional polyene carboxylic acids. The methyl esters of the new all-trans serpentene (2) and four new dicarboxylic acids (3-6) were isolated after methylation of the isolated polyene fraction. The dicarboxylic acids might result from omega- and beta-oxidation of the parent compounds 1 and 2.