A new example of 1α-hydroxylation of drimanic terpenes through combined microbial and chemical processes

Among various filamentous fungi, Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142 was the most efficient strain to convert confertifolin in high yield into its 3 beta -hydroxy derivative, which was then chemically converted to 1 alpha -hydroxy-, 1 alpha ,11 alpha -dihydroxy- and 1 alpha -acetoxy-11 alpha -hydroxyconfertifolin, new compounds structurally related to bioactive natural products isolated from plants or marine sponges. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.