Process for the preparation of de-mannosyl teicoplanin derivatives

A process for the manufacture of a compound of the formula:

• ##STR3## R is N-(Z-4-decenoyl)-beta-D-2-deoxy-2-amino-glucopyranosyl, N-(8-methyl-nonanoyl)-beta-D-2-deoxy-2-animo-glucopyranosyl, N-decanoyl-beta-D-2-deoxy-2-amino-glucopyranosyl, N-(8-methyl-decanoyl)-beta-D-2-deoxy-2-amino-glucopyranosyl, N-(9-methyl-decanoyl)-beta-D-2-deoxy-2-amino-glucopyranosyl;
• R.sub.1 is N-acetyl-beta-D-2-deoxy-2-amino-glucopyranosyl;
• R.sub.2 is hydrogen,
• their addition salts with acids and bases and any mixture thereof, in any proportion, which comprises submitting a substrate selected from teicoplanin complex, any mixture of the single components and a single component thereof to a microbiological transformation with a microorganism selected from Nocardia orientalis NRLL 2450 (ATCC 53630), Streptomyces candidus NRLL 3218 (ATCC 53629), the natural variants and mutants thereof exhibiting the same property of splitting the glycosidic bond with the D-mannose moiety in the teicoplanin molecule, the washed mycelium, and a cell free preparation thereof and recovering said substance or mixture of substances and, in case a mixture of substances is obtained, optionally separating it into its individual components.