The previously undescribed natural product lumnitzeralactone (1), which represents a derivative of ellagic acid, was isolated from the anti-bacterial extract of the Indonesian mangrove species Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. The structure of lumnitzeralactone (1), a proton-deficient and highly challenging condensed aromatic ring system, was unambiguously elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses involving high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), 1D ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and 2D NMR (including 1,1-ADEQUATE and 1,n-ADEQUATE). Determination of the structure was supported by computer-assisted structure elucidation (CASE system applying ACD-SE), density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and a two-step chemical synthesis. Possible biosynthetic pathways involving mangrove-associated fungi have been suggested.

The new species Cortinarius steglichii is described from Chilean Nothofagus forest based on morphological and microscopical attributes, molecular phylogeny, and chemical analysis of secondary metabolites. C. steglichii is characterized by abundant, long, ramified cystidia on the lamellar edges and stipe apex, further by a deep violet color reaction after treatment with KOH. As responsible secondary metabolite for the cytoplasmatic color reaction of cystidia and some hyphae, the new diterpenoid steglichon (1) could be recognized, showing also remarkable antibacterial and anticancer activity. Phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, RPB1) confirm the close relationship to species of the Cortinarius dulciolens group.