Mutagenicity of stemphyltoxin III, a metabolite of Alternaria alternata.

Some common decay organisms of vegetables and ripened fruits are Alternaria species. Even fruits and vegetables kept under refrigeration can be spoiled by Alternaria species because the mold grows at low temperatures. Alternaria alternata is commonly found in grain in areas with a high incidence of esophageal cancer. Three metabolites, altertoxins I, II, and III, have been isolated from A. alternata and have hydroxyperylenequinone structures. Although other perylenequinone metabolites such as stemphyperylenol and stemphyltoxins I, II, III, and IV, have been isolated from Stemphylium botryosum var. lactucum, a plant pathogen and mold, we isolated and identified stemphyltoxin III from A. alternata. This metabolite was tested for mutagenicity in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium plate incorporation assay with and without Aroclor 1254-induced rat S-9 metabolic activation. A positive response was noted with and without metabolic activation in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA1537, and there was a marginal response in strain TA100.