Nigrospora is a monophyletic genus belonging to Apiosporaceae. Species in this genus are phytopathogenic, endophytic, and saprobic on different hosts. In this study, leaf specimens with disease symptoms were collected from host plants from the Shandong Peninsula, China. The fungal taxa associated with these leaf spots were studied using morphology and phylogeny based on ITS, TEF1, and TUB2 gene regions. In this article, we report on the genus Nigrospora with N. gorlenkoana , N. oryzae , N. osmanthi , N. rubi , and N. sphaerica identified with 13 novel host associations including crops with economic importance such as bamboo and Chinese rose.

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We have provided a critical review that focuses on key developments in the area of 3-substituted phthalides and their role in the development of important biologically active natural products. 3-Substituted phthalides are vital molecules owing to their fascinating biological activity. The scope, isolation, and characterization of various naturally occurring racemic and chiral 3-substituted phthalides have been covered. We have put significant emphasis on recently developed research methodologies for the synthesis of racemic and chiral 3-substituted phthalides. These newer approaches are essential for the development of newer and elegant strategies for the synthesis of phthalide-based or similar molecular architecture with broader substrate scope and higher stereoselectivities. Also, we have discussed the application of 3-substituted phthalides as a precursor for the synthesis of natural products and their analogs.

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Species of Nigrospora commonly occur as plant pathogens, endophytes or saprobes, and have been shown to be extremely interesting for the discovery of novel metabolites. The familial placement, as well as phylogenetic relationships among Nigrospora species remain ambiguous. In this study, Nigrospora (= Khusia ) is confirmed as a monophyletic genus belonging to Apiosporaceae ( Xylariales ), based on a phylogeny inferred from LSU sequence data. A multi-locus phylogeny based on ITS, TEF1-α and TUB2 , in conjunction with morphological characters, host associations, and ecological data was employed for species delimitation in Nigrospora , as well as identification of 165 recently collected isolates from China, and three from Europe. In total 13 novelties are proposed including 12 new species and 1 new combination. Five species are re-described based on an examination of type specimens and/or fresh collections. New species described in this paper include: N. aurantiaca , N. bambusae , N. camelliae-sinensis , N. chinensis , N. guilinensis , N. hainanensis , N. lacticolonia , N. osmanthi , N. pyriformis , N. rubi , N. vesicularis and N. zimmermanii . Furthermore, N. vietnamensis is transferred to Arthrinium. Our results indicate a high level of species diversity within Nigrospora , with a general lack in host specificity. Taxa that cluster basal in Nigrospora have wide host ranges, whereas those that diverged later tend to have narrow host ranges. The currently available data suggest, therefore, that the general evolutionary direction in the genus Nigrospora is from a wide to a narrow host range.

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Formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) regulates a wide variety of neutrophil functional responses and plays an important role in inflammation and the pathogenesis of various diseases. To date, a variety of natural and synthetic molecules have been identified as FPR1 ligands. Here, we review current knowledge on natural products and natural product-inspired small molecules reported to antagonize and/or inhibit the FPR1-mediated responses. Based on this literature, additional screening of selected commercially available natural compounds for their ability to inhibit fMLF-induced Ca(2+) mobilization in human neutrophils and FPR1 transfected HL-60 cells, and pharmacophore modeling, natural products with potential as FPR1 antagonists are considered and discussed in this review. The identification and characterization of natural products that antagonize FPR1 activity may have potential for the development of novel therapeutics to limit or alter the outcome of inflammatory processes.

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Six new phthalides, (S)-3-ethyl-7-hydroxy-6-methoxyphthalide (1), (S)-3-ethyl-7-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxyphthalide (2), (S)-3-ethyl-5,6,7-trimethoxyphthalide (3), (R)-3-ethyl-7-hydroxy-6-methoxyphthalide (4), (Z)-3-ethylidene-7-hydroxy-6-methoxyphthalide (5), and (Z)-3-ethylidene-6,7-dimethoxyphthalide (6), have been isolated from the root of Pittosporum illicioides var. illicioides, together with seven known compounds. The structures of these new compounds were determined through spectroscopic and MS analyses. Compounds 1-4 exhibited inhibition (IC50<or=29.8 microM) of superoxide anion generation by human neutrophils in response to formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLP/CB). Compounds 5 and 6 inhibited fMLP/CB-induced elastase release with IC50 values of 38.6+/-4.3 and 33.9+/-3.9 microM, respectively.

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