The fungal metabolite culmorin and related compounds.

This paper reviews the toxicology of culmorins, a family of compounds found in grains contaminated by Fusarium graminearum and related fungi. We include the results of an Ames test and studies based on Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships. Culmorin has low toxicity in several in vitro assays and in one study in swine and is Ames test negative. Culmorin is moderately antifungal. QSAR analysis suggested that the plant compound longifolene was similar. Longifolene is a GRAS compound used in cosmetics and is also moderately antifungal.