Pecilocin
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pecilocin (brand name Variotin) is a pyrrolidine anti-fungal.[1] It is produced by Paecilomyces varioti Bainer var. antibioticus and was first isolated by Setsuo Takeuchi in 1959.[2] Later, it was established that other fungi also produce this compound, which include Aspergillus candidus and Aspergillus montenegroi.[3]
| Names | |
|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name
1-[(2E,4E,6E,8R)-8-Hydroxy-6-methyldodeca-2,4,6-trienoyl]pyrrolidin-2-one | |
| Other names
Latin: pecilocinum | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChEMBL | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.039.182 |
| EC Number |
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| KEGG | |
PubChem CID |
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| C17H25NO3 | |
| Molar mass | 291.3853 |
| Appearance | colorless oily substance |
| Solubility in water | 0.181 mg/ml |
| Solubility in organic solvents | high |
| Pharmacology | |
| Drug class | antifungal |
| D01AA04 (WHO) | |
| topical (cream or solution) | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Uses
Pecilocin is indicated for topical treatment of fungal infections of skin and its adnexa,[4] i.e.:
- skin mycoses (including tinea versicolor)
- onchomycosis
- scalp infections (e.g. tinea capitis)
Antifungal spectrum
Pecilocin is a fungistatic and has activity against genera Blastomyces, Cryptococcus, Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Trichophyton (with MIC less or equal to 0,25 μg/ml).[5] C. albicans is inherently resistant.
Adverse effects
Common adverse effects associated with pecilocin include: skin irritation (observed in 2-6.5% of patients), as well as contact dermatitis. Some patients might exhibit allergy to pecilocin.[6]
Biosynthesis
A radioactive carbon study of pecilocin biosynthetic pathway conducted by Nobuo Tanaka showed it is synthesised from acetic acid, glutamate and L-methionine.[5]
