Antibiotic cytophagin and a process for producing the same

A substance having antibiotic activity, designated as cytophagin, which is stable in the form of colorless powder and which possesses the following physico-chemical properties:

• (1) Elemental analysis:
• H:
• 6.94%, C:
• 47.22%, N:
• 13.21%
• (2) Molecular weight:
• 1,000 to 1,500 [determined by gel filtration]
• (3) Melting point:
• Browning at about 210.degree. C. and decomposing with foaming at about 220.degree. C.
• (4) Specific rotation:
• [.alpha]sub.D.sup.25 =+5.degree. (c=1 in DMSO)
• (5) Ultraviolet absorption spectrum:
• As shown in FIG. 1 (c=25 .mu.g/ml in methanol)
• (6) Infrared absorption spectrum:
• As shown in FIG. 2 (by KBr tablet method)
• (7) Solubility invarious solvents:
• Readily soluble in acetic acid and dimethylsulfoxide, substantially soluble in methanol and ethanol, and hardly soluble in water, chlorofoem, acetone, ethyl acetate and ethyl ether
• (8) Color reaction:
• Positive in ninhydrin reaction, Ehrlich reaction and isatine reaction, and negative in Sakaguchi reaction, Pauly reaction and anisidine reaction.
• (9) Nature:
• Neutral
• (10) Color and appearance:
• Colorless powder
• (11) Amino acids constituents:
• Lysine, aspartic acid, threonine, serine, proline, glycine, leucine, trypsine and other 3 amino acids (each one molecule thereof)
• (12) Rf value:
• 0.23 [by silica gel thin layer chromatography using as silica gel plate Art. 5721 (Merck AG., Germany) and a solvent system of n-butanol/acetic acid/water (12:3:5)].