166 



DESCRIPTIONS OF ANTIBIOTICS 



components giving positive Pauly reactions. 

 Fraction II is a complex peptide. 



Biological activity: Active on gram-positive V:)ut 

 not gram-negative bacteria. No cross-resistance 

 with penicillin, streptomycin, albomycin, erythro- 

 mycin, or chlortetracycline. Resistance develops 

 slowly. Active in vivo (mice) on pneumococcal 

 infections; somewhat less active on staphylococcal 

 or streptococcal infections. Activity considered 

 equal to chlortetracycline and better than peni- 

 cillin. 



Toxicity: Mice tolerate 2 gm per kg intra- 

 venously. Not irritating when instilled as a 1 per 

 cent solution into the eyes of rabbits. Strong in- 

 flammatory reaction at the site of a subcutaneous 

 or intramuscular injection. Causes overgrowth of 

 gram-negative bacteria in the intestine when 

 given orally. Poorly absorbed from the intestinal 

 tract . 



Utilization: Limited by painful reactions at 

 injection site. 



Reference: 1. Shorin, V. A. et al . Antibiotiki 

 2(5): 44-49, 1957. 



Acliiioleiikin 



Produced by: Streptonit/ces aureus and Strepto- 

 myces sp. (1, 3). 



»Sy«.onj/wi; Related to levomycin, antil)iotic F4.3, 

 and echinomycin. 



Method of extraction: Broth-filtrate extracted 

 with ethyl or butyl acetate. Extract decolorized 

 with nitric acid-treated alumina. Effluent evap- 

 orated in vacuo. Can be purified by (a) chromatog- 

 raphy on alumina with ethyl acetate or developer. 

 Active fractions concentrated to dryness in vacuo, 

 washed with petroleum ether, and crystallized 

 from ethanol. (b) Countercurrent distribution 

 (80 per cent aqueous methanol-benzene-carbon 

 tetrachloride, 2:1 : 1) ; active fractions recrys- 

 tallized from methanol-chloroform (7:3) (I, 3). 



Chemical and physical properties : White platelets 

 or needles; m.p. 213°C (decomposition). Soluble in 

 chloroform and pyridine. Sparingly soluble in 

 acetone, warm ethanol, methanol, ethyl and butyl 

 acetates. Slightly soluble in carbon tetrachloride 

 and benzene. Insoluble in water. Ultraviolet ab- 

 sorption spectrum maxima at 243 and 312 ni/u 

 (solvent not given). Infrared absorption spectrum 

 in references, [a],?^ = -302° (c = 0.01 per cent in 

 ethyl acetate). Negative FeCls , ninhydrin, 

 Molisch, Sakaguchi, biuret, Tollen, and Fehling 

 tests. Positive pine-splint test. Ehrlich test gives 

 a yellow color. C29-3nH4o-42N607-8S: C = 56.41%; 

 H = 6.74%; N = 13.06%; S = 5.01%. Molecu- 

 lar weight, 648 (Rast) (1, 3). 



Bioloi/ical activity: Active on gram-positive 

 bacteria. Little or no activity against gram- 

 negative bacteria (1). Kills HeLa cells at 0.06 jug 

 per ml (2). Slight activity' on Ehrlich ascites 

 carcinoma (1, 3). 



Toxicity: LD^o (mice) 1.5 mg per kg intra- 

 peritoneally (1). 



References: 



1. Ueda, M. et al. J. Antibiotics (Japan) 7 A: 



125-126, 1954. 



2. Umezawa, H. Giorn. niicrobiol. 2: 160- 



193, 1956. 



3. Ishihara, S. et al. J. Antibiotics (Japan) 



llA: 160-161, 1958. 



Acliii«»l> sill 



Produced by: Streptomyces albicans. 



Method of extraction: Nutrient broth inoculated 

 with a culture of the organism and incubated at 

 30° C for 4 to 5 days. The lysed cultvire is filtered. 



Cheuiical and physical properties: Unstable, 

 partly destroyed at 80°C and completely destroyed 

 at 100°C. Can be separated into two constituents 

 by means of dialysis; neither of these is active by 

 itself. In contrast to actinophage, the agent is 

 active upon dead cells as well as upon living. 



Biological activity: Active oidy upon the culture 

 from which it is isolated. 



Utilization: Exerts a favorable effect in the 

 treatment of actinomycotic infections. 



Reference: 1 . Dimitriev, S. and Suteev, G. Med. 

 Parasitol. Parasitic Diseases (U. S. S. R.) No. 

 4: 1947. 



Actinonijceliii 



Produced by: Streptaniyces antibioticus. 



Method of extraction: Broth-filtrate extracted 

 with butanol. Extract dried in vacuo, washed with 

 organic solvents, such as benzene, dissolved in 

 ethanol, and filtered. Dried in vacuo. Purified by 

 chromatography on alumina from butanol and 

 developed with methanol and methyl acetate (3:1) 



Chemical and physical properties: Neutral, 

 yellowish green sul)stance. Solulile in water at pH 

 7.0 and in ethanol (with intense fluorescence). 

 Scarcely soluble in chloroform and am.vl acetate; 

 insoluble in ether and benzene. Treatment with 

 concentrated HCl gives a red or gray color; pre- 

 cipitate forms on boiling. Positive Fehling and 

 FeCls tests. No reaction with alcoholic NaOH, 

 picric acid, KCN, or sodium bisulfite. Decolorizes 

 KMn04 . More stable at pH 7.0 than at alkaline or 

 acid pH. Thermolabile. 



Biological activity: Active on gram-positive 



