Spirolaxine is the major metabolite isolated from the white wood rot fungus, Sporotrichum laxum, reported by Arnone and co-workers in 1990. The absolute stereochemistry of spirolaxine was solved by researchers at CNR-ICRM, Italy in 2005. Spirolaxine follows a common biosynthetic route to phanerosporic acid but undergoes a series of hydroxylation, cyclisation and methylation steps. Spirolaxine is a potent antibacterial, specifically against Helicobacter pylori.