Gliotoxin, a fungistatic metabolic product of Trichoderma viride

Abstract

Gliotoxin is shown to be a metabolic product of Trichoderma viride , and a semi‐continuous apparatus for its production is described. Ammonia nitrogen is preferable to nitrate nitrogen, but a wide range of carbon sources, and organic or inorganic sulphur sources, are suitable for gliotoxin production. No organic supplements to a glucose‐mineral medium have been found to affect gliotoxin production beneficially. Data are presented showing gliotoxin to be moderately toxic to a wide range of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi. T. viride itself is resistant to its toxic effects. It shows fungicidal activity when applied as a dust to cereal seeds bearing various seed‐borne diseases, but is inferior to organomercury compounds for this purpose. Its value as a fungicide for control of plant or animal infections is reduced by the instability of aqueous solutions, except at low p H.