Caspase-1 and-3 Inhibiting Drimane Sesquiterpenoids from the Extremophilic Fungus Penicillium solitum

Two new drimane sesquiterpene lactones and one new tricarboxylic acid derivative were isolated from the Berkeley Pit extremophilic fungus Penicillium solitum. The structures of these compounds were deduced by spectroscopic analysis. Berkedrimanes A and B inhibited the signal transduction enzymes caspase-1 and caspase-3 and mitigated the production of interleukin 1-beta in the induced THP-1 (pro-monocytic leukemia cell line) assay.