Hypocholesterolemic fermentation products

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A compound of structural formula I in substantially pure form: ##STR6## 2.
An antihypercholesterolemic pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutical carrier and an effective antihypercholesterolemic amount of a compound of structural formula I in substantially pure form: ##STR7##



Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to hypocholesterolemic products from the cultivation of a microfungus of the genus, Penicillium.
More specifically, it relates to compounds of formulae I and II: ##STR2## as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts and lower alkyl and substituted alkyl esters of the carboxylic acids in which the possible substituent is phenyl, dimethylamino or acetylamino.
The invention also relates to a process of cultivating the microfungus and isolating from the medium a hypocholesterolemic compound of the above structures.
These new compounds have excellent properties of inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis and are useful against hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipemia.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Because of the possible connection between high blood cholesterol and atherosclerosis, many efforts have been made to find ways and substances which would reduce the cholesterol in the mammalian body.
One of these ways is to inhibit in mammals the body's ability to synthesize cholesterol.
Recently, Endo et al.
, described (U.
S.
Pat.
Nos.
4,049,495 and 3,983,140) a fermentation product obtained by cultivation of a microorganism of the genus Penicillium and isolation from the medium.
They called it ML 236 B and determined its structure together with two related compounds 236 A and 236 C.
Its structure, under the name compactin, was also determined by A.
G.
Brown, T.
C.
Smale, T.
J.
King, J.
Chem.
Soc.
(Perkin I) 1165 (1975).
This compound has been found to be an inhibitor, in vivo, of the biosynthesis of cholesterol.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It has been found that the cultivation of the same microorganism employed by Endo, produces compounds I and II that are also very potent inhibitors of the biosynthesis of cholesterol in mammals