Ziracin, a Novel Oligosaccharide Antibiotic

Abstract

Ziracin is produced by Micromonospora carbonacea¹⁾ and is highly active against Grampositive bacteria. In particular it is highly active against methicillin resistant staphylococci and vancomycin resistant enterococci. Ziracin, C₇₀H₉₇NO₃₈Cl₂, contains two orthoester linkages, a nitro sugar, a methylene dioxy group, two aromatic ester residues and thirty five centres of assymmetries. In this paper a brief description of the structural elucidation of ziracin is presented along with the chemical modification of the antibiotic which has led to the identification of several potent antibacterials.