An antifungal sesquiterpene diol, debneyol, has been isolated from tobacco necrosis virus-inoculated leaves of Nicotiana debneyi and a structure is proposed from chemical, spectroscopic and biogenetic evidence. In contrast to the related phytoalexin capsidiol which is fungistatic, debneyol appears to exhibit genuine fungicidal activity.

Phaseollin is metabolised by cultures of Septoria nodorum, a non-pathogen of bean, into cis and trans isomers of 12,13-dihydrodihydroxyphaseollin. These products are much less fungitoxic than phaseollin which suggests that the capacity to detoxify phytoalexins is not confined to pathogenic fungi.