Kerriamycins A, B and C, New Isotetracenone Antibiotics

Abstract

Three new antibiotics were obtained from the culture filtrate of an actinomycete identified as Streptomyces violaceolatus, and were named kerriamycins A, B and C, respectively. The structures of these kerriamycins were elucidated by NMR spectral analysis and chemical degradation, which revealed that each kerriamycin was composed of a common chromophore identified as aquayamycin and two or three mols of hexoses. The kerriamycins inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and prolonged the survival periods of mice bearing Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.