Abstract
Since the discovery of aureomycin, yellow antibiotic substances produced by streptomyces have been successively obtained. Aureothricin found by Umezawa and others, luteomycin by Hata and others, xanthomycin by Peterson and others, and terramycin, are all yellow antibiotics produced by streptomyces. Griseolutein, which was found by Umezawa and the writer and others, is also a yellow crystalline antibiotic. As shown in the previous report the griseolutein-producing strain is a new species named as Streptomyces griseoluteus. From the fermented broth of this strain griseolutein is extracted with ethylacetate at pH 2-3 and after vacuum concentration and alumina chromatographic purification crystallized with ethylacetate. It melts at 193°C and it contains C 59.51%, H 4.36% and N 8.02%. Qualitative tests of sulfur and halogen are negative. It is different from aureothricin and luteomycin in the negative test of sulfur, from aureomycin in the negative test of chlorine, from xanthomycin in its slight toxicity and from terramycin in the melting point.
S. griseoluteus produces not only griseolutein but also the other antibiotics, depending on the cultural conditions. When it is cultivated in the yeast-glycerol medium, griseolutein and the other antibiotics are produced, and in the case of the cornsteepliquor glycerol medium, the other antibiotic which can not be extracted with ethylacetate is produced.
In the present paper the bacteriostatic effects in vitro in various conditions and the toxicity are described.
