DESCRIPTIONS OF ANTIBIOTICS 



361 



(20 fMg per ml); slightly active (100 Mg per ml) on 

 Ps. aeruginosa. Not active on A. niger. 



Reference: 1. Banerjee, A. K. et al. Antibiotics 

 Ann. 1955-195B. pp. 640-647. 



Rubroniyciii 



Produced by: Streptomyces collinus. This organ- 

 ism also produces collinomycin (1). 



Method of extraction: Finely ground dried my- 

 celium washed with petroleum ether, ether, or 

 carbon disulfide. Exhaustively extracted with 

 80 per cent acetone-2 .V H2SO4 (100:12), or ace- 

 tone, chloroform, methylene chloride, ethyl ace- 

 tate, tetrahydrofuran, or dioxane. Acetone ex- 

 tract adjusted to pH 6.0, concentrated in vacuo, 

 and residue shaken with water and ether. Most of 

 the antibiotic precipitates at the interface. Pre- 

 cipitate centrifuged, washed with water, and 

 dried. Taken up in methylene chloride, and 

 shaken with saturated NaHCO:) solution to pre- 

 cipitate colored impurities at the interface. 

 Methylene chloride layer neutralized, washed 

 with water, and concentrated to dryness. Residue 

 purified by chromatography on activated calcium 

 sulfate from chloroform. Crystallized from chloro- 

 form, methanol, or ethyl acetate. 



Chemical and physical properties: Red, thin, 

 long, rectangular crystals, m.p. 125°C (decompo- 

 sition) (from methanol or ethyl acetate). Crystals 

 appear pale violet microscopically. Crystallizes 

 from chloroform-methanol as orange prisms; m.p. 

 280-282°C (uncorrected). Moderately soluble in 

 acetone and chloroform. Slightly solul)le in ether 

 and lower alcohols; almost insoluble in water, 

 petroleum ether, and NaHCOs . In 2 .V NaOH and 

 in concentrated H2SO4 , gives a reddish violet 

 coloration, with ultraviolet al^sorption spectrum 

 maxima at 546 and 584 ni/i, and 518 to 520 m^, 

 respectively. Red-violet Na salt. Decolorized by 

 sodium hyposulfite, but not l)y sodium bisulfite. 

 Color returns on exposure to air. A pyridine- 

 methanol solution treated with titanium tri- 

 chloride gives a blue-green solution changing to 

 red-violet. No N. C = 60.30%; H = 4.26%; O = 

 33.91%. Acetate: Yellow needles; m.p. 193-195°C 

 (uncorrected). Heating in methylene chloride 

 yields a biologically active decomposition product 

 having red crystals, m.p. 265-268°C (uncorrected), 

 similar to rubromycin, and having ultraviolet 

 absorption maxima (ether) at 532 and 547 m^u 

 (2,3). 



Biological activity: Most active on gram -posi- 

 tive bacteria; less active on gram-negative bac- 

 teria (2). 



References: 



1. Lindenbein, W. Arch. Mikrobiol. 17: 361- 



383, 1952. 



2. Brockmann, H. and Rennelierg, K. H. 



Naturwissenschaften 40:59-60, 1953. 



3. Brockmann, H. and Renneberg, K. H. Ger- 



man Patent 918,162, September 20, 1954. 



Riiticin 



Produced by: Streptomyces sp. closely related to 

 S. rutgersensis. 



Method of extraction: Addition of 0.03 per cent 

 H2O2 to culture, filtration, and extraction of 

 culture-ttltrate with ethjd acetate at pH 4.0. 

 Back-extraction with water at pH 8.0. Extraction 

 and counter-extraction repeated with increasingly 

 smaller vohmies of ethyl acetate and water. From 

 the final aqueous extract, the antibiotic precipi- 

 tated out by adjusting the pH to 4.0. Crystalline 

 material obtained by repeated crystallization of 

 crude ruticin from methanol. 



Chemical and physical properties: The piu-est 

 sample of ruticin was composed of orange needle- 

 like crystals, which could be transformed into an 

 inactive product crystallizing in ro.settes. Acidic 

 substance. Soluble in methanol, ethanol, and 

 ethyl acetate. The sodium salt is soluble in water, 

 methanol, and ethanol; insoluble in ethyl acetate. 

 Ultraviolet alisorption maxima at 262 and 3()4 

 niju. The free acid is unstable. In presence of liv- 

 ing cells, ruticin is destroyed in absence of an 

 excess of oxygen. 



Biological activity: Active against certain gram- 

 positive and gram-negative bacteria. 



Toxicity: LD.iri (mice) 20 mg per kg intrave- 

 nously. 



Reference: 1. Fisher, W. P. et al. Antibiotics 

 Ann. 1953-1954, pp. 174-176. 



Sa re id in 



Produced by: Streptomyces achromogenes. 



Method of extraction: Adsorption on charcoal at 

 pH 7.0. Elution with acidic alcohol, concentration 

 in vacuo, crystallization at 0-5°C, recrystalliza- 

 tion from 80 per cent aciueous ethanol. 



Chemiccd and physical properties: m.p. 274-275°C 

 (decomposition). C = 41.9%; H = 5.0%; N = 

 21.8%. Halogen and S may also be present. Maxi- 

 mal stability at pH 2.0. 



Biological activity: Active against Sarcinu lutea 

 at 1 to 1.5 /ug per ml. No activity against a large 

 number of bacteria and fungi tested. 



Toxicity: LDn (mice) >(3(30 mg per kg iiUra- 

 peritoneally. 



