Waksman — 116 — Actinomycetes 



Table 22 : Classification of antibiotics of actinomycetes: — 



A. Soluble in ether and in other organic solvents: 



I. Pigmented substances: 



1. Orange colored; somewhat soluble in neutral aqueous solution; nitrogen- 

 bearing ring compound, highly toxic, C4iH560nN8; largely active against 

 gram-positive bacteria Actinomycin 



2. Yellow pigment, active against both gram-positive and gram-negative bac- 

 teria; highly toxic to animals Xanthomycins A and B 



3. Compounds related to actinomycin Actinoflavin 



4. Red-blue pigment; soluble in aqueous alkaline solution; active against gram- 

 positive bacteria Litmocidin 



5. Compounds related to litmocidin Actinorbodin 



6. Orange colored; extracted from charcoal adsorbate and from mycelium by 

 ether-alcohol mixture; active largely against M. tuberculosis Nocardin 



7. Green pigment, active against gram-positive bacteria Actinomycelin 



II. Non-pigmented substances: 



1. Organic base; soluble in acidified aqueous solution, inhibits mostly gram- 

 positive bacteria Proactino/nycin 



2. Largely fungistatic, not bacteriostatic, C27H42N2O7 Actidione 



3. Soluble in water; active against various bacteria and fungi Mycomycin 



4. Insoluble in water, present in mycelium; active largely against gram-positive 

 bacteria Streptocin 



5. Neutral compound; slightly soluble in water, readily soluble in organic sol- 

 vents, contains nitrogen (8.6%) and non-iojiic chlorine (21.7%); active against 

 various bacteria and rickettsiae Chloromycetin 



6. Amphoteric; active against bacteria, rickettsiae and certain viruses Terramycin 



7. Heat labile, largely active against fungi Antimycin 



8. Heat stable, active against fungi Fradicin 



9. An acid; active it vivo against the relapsing fever spirochete and enhances 

 the activity of penicillin against the syphilis spirochete Borrelidin 



B. Insoluble in ether, but soluble in other organic solvents: 



I. Violet-blue pigmented substance Mycetin 



II. Colorless, sulphur-containing substance Sulphactin 



III. Colorless, nitrogenous body, active against parasitic fungi Musurin 



C. Soluble in water, insoluble in ether and in other organic solvents: 



I. Bases soluble in aqueous acid solution; removed from charcoal by acid alcohol; 

 active against various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. 



1. Little activity against Bacillus mycoides, Scrratia marcescens; active against 



Bodenheimer organism and fungi Streptothricin 



a. Compounds closely related to streptothricin, but varying in toxicity to 



animals and showing quantitatively different antibiotic spectra: 



(a) Streptin 



(b) Streptolin 



(c) Lavendulin 



(d) Actinorubin 



(e) Antibiotic 136 



(f) Streptothricin VI and \'II 



2. Active against B. mycoides and S. marcescens, little activity against fungi, no 

 activity against Bodenheimer organism; glycoside (streptidine-streptobiosa- 

 mine) Streptomycin complex 



