Production of Shikimic Acid by Penicillium griseofulvum Dierckx

Abstract

SEVERAL phenolic substances have been isolated from the cultures of Penicillium griseofulvum Dierckx: 2-hydroxy-6-methylbenzoic acid¹, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid², o-, m- and p-hydroxybenzoic acid³, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid⁴. Those compounds, together with amino-benzoic acids⁵, fulvic acid⁶, griseofulvine⁷ and patuline⁸, were identified in metabolic solutions of cultures ten days of age or older. In order to detect substances which could be involved in the production of benzoic derivatives it seemed advisable to investigate the metabolic solution in the earliest stages of the culture. This has led to the identification of shikimic acid, which is interesting because of its possible conversion to phenolic substances such as has been shown for Escherichia coli ⁹. Besides shikimic acid, sedoheptulose, d-erythrose and pyruvic acid have also been found. This communication describes the isolation and identification of shikimic acid and related substances.