188 THE ANTIBIOTICS 



Reference: Umezawa, H., Hayano, S., Takeuchi, T., and Mizuhara, Y., J. 

 Penicillin (Japan), 1, 1947, 129-133; Hirata, Y., and Nakaniski, K., 

 J. Antibiotics (Japan), 2, 1948, 181-182; Bull. Soc. Chem. Japan, 22, 

 1949, 121-127. 



Remarks: A preparation designated as actinomycin Ji is a mixture of actino- 

 mycin Ji and duodecyl ester of 5-ketostearic acid. The last compound 

 has no antibiotic activity. Actinomycin J 2 is very probably the equiva- 

 lent of Waksman and Woodruff's actinomycin B. Later Waksman, 

 Geiger, and Reynolds proposed dropping the term actinomycin B to 

 designate this fraction, since obviously it is nothing else than a mixture 

 of actinomycin A with inert material. They proposed calling actino- 

 mycin A, actinomycin. 



Reference: Hirato, Y., and Nakaniski, K., Bull. Soc. Chem. Japan, 22, 1949, 

 121-127; Waksman, S. A., and Woodruff, H. B., Proc. Soc. Exptl. 

 Biol. Med., 45, 1940, 609-614; Waksman, S. A., Geiger, W. B., and 

 Reynolds, D. M., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U. S., 32, 1946, 117-120. 



Actinone 



Produced by: Streptomyces sp. closely related to S. antibioticus. 



Method of extraction: Adsorption on active carbon, elution with methanol, 

 concentration in vacuo, extraction with ether and separation between 

 two active fractions: A, ether-soluble and B, ether-insoluble. 



Chemical and physical properties: Contains 1 per cent nitrogen. Not sol- 

 uble in chloroform. 



Biological activity: Active against Saccharomyces and Trichophyton species. 

 No activity against other fungi and bacteria. 



Toxicity: LDo (mice), intravenous, 1000 mg/kg. 



Reference. Ikeda, Y., Hirai, T., and Nishimaki, T., J. Antibiotics (Japan), 

 3, 1950, 724-729. 



Actinorhodin 



Produced by: Streptomyces sp. 



Method of extraction: Extraction of the mycelium with 0.5 N NaOH; 

 neutralization yields a red precipitate. Exhaustive extraction of the 

 precipitate with dioxane followed by concentration of solution, from 

 which red crystals form upon standing. 



Chemical and physical properties. Small, fine, red needles. Insoluble in 

 petroleum ether, ether, and carbon tetrachloride. Slightly soluble in 

 alcohol, acetone, dioxane and acetic acid. Soluble in pyridine, piperi- 

 dine and phenol. Blue at alkaline pH, red at acid reaction. Quinone 

 derivative. Maximum light absorption in dioxane at 560 and 523 m/*. 

 It decomposes without melting at 270°C. C24H 2 20n- 



