Merulidial (Compound 1) is an antibiotic and cytotoxic agent characterized by a sesquiterpene dialdehyde structure. It effectively inhibits the spore germination and mycelial growth of the wood-decaying basidiomycete Heterobasidion annosum (H. annosum) and the saprophytic fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum (C. cucumerinum). Additionally, Merulidial suppresses DNA synthesis in various bacteria, algae, and ECA cells. It exhibits strong anticancer activity, with IC50 values of 20 µg/mL for ECA cells and 10 µg/mL for L1210 cells.
