Products of 1,8-Cineole Oxidation by a Pseudomonad

Abstract

A bacterium having close affinity with Pseudomonas flava was isolated from eucalypt leaves for its ability to utilize 1,8-cineole (1) as a carbon source. The bacterium is also capable of utilizing α-terpineol, camphor, isoborneol and geraniol but failed to grow on borneol, limonene and piperitone. Growth of the organism in mineral salts medium containing 1,8-cineole resulted in the formation of four oxidation products. Keto lactone (2), alcohols (3) and (4) and ketone (5) arereported as natural products arising from the oxidation of 1,8-cineole by the bacterium.