Antibiotics and process for production thereof

Antibiotic A-39183 factor C, which is a yellow, crystalline solid having the following characteristics:

• (a) an approximate elemental composition of 68.03 percent carbon, 4.78 percent hydrogen, and 26.58 percent oxygen;
• (b) a molecular weight of about 598, as determined by mass spectrometry;
• (c) an infrared absorption spectrum with the following significant absorption maxima (cm.sup.-1):
• 3498, 3420, 2970, 2930, 2861, 1971, 1717, 1701, 1623, 1599, 1585, 1452, 1414, 1357, 1335, 1312, 1261, 1223, 1172, 1151, 1122, 1086, 1041, 1011, 980 (shoulder), 970, 955, 938, 905, 879, 870 (shoulder), 851, 801, 781, 750 (shoulder), 740, 692, and 666;
• (d) ultaviolet absorption spectra in acidic or neutral methanol with absorption maxima at 226 nm (.epsilon.44,200), 268 nm (.epsilon.55,600), 300 nm (s) (.epsilon.6,200), 310 (s), (.epsilon.5,300), 327 nm (.epsilon.5,900), and 410 nm (.epsilon.13,800);
• and in basic methanol with absorption maxima at 229 nm (.epsilon.50,100), 226 nm (.epsilon.49,200), 328 nm (s) (.epsilon.11,000), 340 nm (.epsilon.11,900), and 420 nm (.epsilon.17,000);
• (e) is soluble in acetone, ethyl acetate, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, trifluoroethanol, the lower alkanols, is sparingly soluble in benzene and toluene, and insoluble in water;
• and
• (f) an R.sub.f value of approximately 0.46 on silica-gel thin layer chromatography using a toluene:acetone (3:1) solvent system.