Isolation and identification of xanthotoxin (8-methoxypsoralen) and bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) from celery infected with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Methods for the production, isolation, and identification of xanthotoxin and bergapten from celery diseased by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Libert) de Bary were investigated. The only conditions under which this mold was capable of producing xanthotoxin and bergapten occurred when the mold was actively growing on fresh (metabolizing) celery. Neither compound was found in uninfected celery, in the mold growing on nutrient media, on nutrient media fortified with 30% filter-sterilized celery juice, or on nonmetabolizing celery. Maximal xanthotoxin production of 320 mug per g of dry rotted celery occurred at 20 C, although mycelial growth increased until 30 C. Neither xanthotoxin nor bergapten was found when the mold grew on 11 agricultural commodities other than celery.