A new steroid with potent antimicrobial activities and two new polyketides from Penicillium variabile EN-394, a fungus obtained from the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides.

Three new compounds, including one steroid named penivariod A (1) and two polyketides penivarides A and B (2 and 3), as well as six known derivatives (4-9) were isolated from Penicillium variabile EN-394, a fungus afforded from the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of the HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR. The absolute stereochemistry was determined by X-ray crystallographic data, gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) NMR shift calculation followed by DP4+ analysis combined with calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Antimicrobial activities for the new compounds (1-3) were evaluated against human- and aquatic-pathogenic bacteria as well as plant pathogenic fungi. Compound 1 exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against most of the pathogenic strains, especially for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with MIC values of 1.0 and 2.0 μg ml -1 , respectively.