ANTIBIOTICS OF ACTINOMYCETES 233 



Vinactin A, B, C 



Produced by: Streptomyces vinaceus. 



Synonym: Probably viomycin. 



Method of extraction: Adsorption on Norit and elution with acid methanol. 

 Precipitation with petroleum ether. 



Chemical and physical properties: Vinactin can be separated into three 

 fractions, A, B, and C, which are peptides. Vinactin A and B are com- 

 posed of lysine, serine, alanine, glycine, glutamic acid, and aspartic 

 acid. Vinactin C is composed of serine, sarcosine, glycine, and an un- 

 identified amino acid. 



Biological activity: Very active against mycobacteria. Active against various 

 gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and rickettsiae. 



Toxicity: No data. 



Utilization: None to date. 



Reference: Mayer, R. L., Crane, C, DeBoer, C. J., Konopka, E. A., Marsh, 

 J. S., Eisman, P. C, Townley, R. W., Mull, R. P., and Scholz, C. R., 

 Abstr. papers 12th Intern. Congr. Pure Appl. Chem., New York, 1951, 

 pp. 283-284. 



Viomycin 



Produced by: Streptomyces floridae, S. juniceus, and S. vinaceus. 



Synonyms: Viocin, probably vinactin. 



Method of extraction: Adsorption on and elution from active carbon followed 

 by repeated precipitation from aqueous methanol. 



Chemical and physical properties: Basic substance; resembles a polypeptide; 

 contains isolysine. Stable mainly at acid pH. Maximum ultraviolet 

 light absorption at 268.5 nnx at pH 7.0. Very soluble in water, in- 

 soluble in organic solvents. Ci8H 3 i_33N 9 08. 



Biological activity: Active against mycobacteria (0.78-12.5 mcg/ml), little 

 activity against most bacteria (10- > 100 mcg/ml). More active at 

 alkaline than at acid pH. 



Toxicity: In mice, single doses of the sulfate 250 mg/kg intravenously and 

 100 mg/kg subcutaneously cause no fatality. 



Utilization: Treatment of tuberculosis in desperate cases. 



Reference: Bartz, Q. R., Ehrlich, J., Mold, J. D., Penner, M. A., and Smith, 

 R. M., Am. Rev. Tuberc, 63, 1951, 4; Haskell, T. H., Fusari, S. A., 

 Frohardt, R. P., and Bartz, Q. R., J. Am. Chem. Soc, 74, 1952, 599. 



Xanthomycins 



Produced by: Streptomyces sp. 



Method of extraction: Adsorption from broth at pH 7.5 to 8.0 with Norit. 



