1 67 Terpenoids and Steroids 



O. N. Breivek, J. L. Owades and R. F. Light, J. Org. Chem. 

 19 1734 (1954). 



336 Ergosterol, C0SH44O, colorless crystals, m.p. 165°, [a],^^ —130° 

 (in chloroform). 



HO 



Ergosterol is the most abundant sterol of yeasts and 

 molds. It occurs widely and was isolated first from ergot 

 (Claviceps purpurea) . It also occurs in lichens and has 

 been detected in Euglena spp. There is much literature, 

 one recent example being: 



Akira Saito, /. Fermentation Technol. (Japan) 31 140 

 (1953). 



Yields as high as 2-2.7% of dry cell weight have been 

 reported, by using Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. Ergos- 

 terol is reported to be the only sterol occurring in several 

 species of Fusaria. It occurs as the palmitate in Peni- 

 cillium spp. and in Aspergillus fumigatus. 



Albert E. Oxford and Harold Raistrick, Biochem. J. 27 1176 

 (1933). 



P. Wieland and V. Prelog, Helv. Chim. Acta 30 1028 (1947). 



Joseph V. Flore, Arch. Biochem. 16 161 (1948). 



337 Pyrocalciferol, C2SH44O, colorless needles, m.p. 93-95°, [alo^" 

 +502° (in alcohol). 



HO 



Penicillium notatum 



A yield of 12 mg. was obtained from 450 g. of dry 

 mycelium. 



