<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Dioxolides, a novel class of secondary metabolites were detected by a HPLC‐diode array screening technique in the culture filtrate of <jats:italic>Streptomyces tendae</jats:italic> Tü 4042. The compounds show no biological activity against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Besides dioxolides, which consist of an unusual substituted dioxolane ring, anhydroshikimate and <jats:italic>para</jats:italic>‐hydrobenzamide were detected by this technique. Both compounds were not yet described as natural products.