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Atromentin is a natural chemical compound found in Agaricomycetes fungi in the orders Agaricales and Thelephorales. It can also be prepared by laboratory synthesis. Chemically, it is a polyphenol and a benzoquinone.
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Occurrences
Atromentin has been found in cultures of Clitocybe subilludens and in extracts of Hydnellum peckii. The first enzymes in its biosynthesis have been characterized in Tapinella panuoides. One of those is called atromentin synthetase.
Biological activities
A number of in vitro biological actives of atromentin have been studied. Atromentin possesses in vitro antibacterial activity, inhibiting the enzyme enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (essential for the biosynthesis of fatty acids) in the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae. Atromentin has been shown to be a smooth muscle stimulant. It also induces apoptosis in isolated human leukemia U937 cells. It is also an anticoagulant.