Fungicidal antibiotic producing Streptomyces sp. NCIMB 40212

A biologically pure culture of a microorganism Streptomyces sp. NCIMB 40212 or a mutant thereof capable of producing the Antibiotic Complex AB-023 in isolatable amounts by controlled aerobic fermentation in an aqueous nutrient substrate comprising assimilable carbon and nitrogen sources and inorganic salts, said Antibiotic Complex AB-023 being a solid characterized by:

• (a) good solubility in dimethyl-sulfoxide, methanol, ethanol, methanol:water (1:1, volume/volume [v/v]) mixture and ethanol:water (1:1, v/v) mixture, insolubility in water, hydrocarbons, acetonitrile, methylene chloride, chloroform;
• (b) approximate elemental analysis, expressed as percent values:
• carbon:
• 64.06;
• hydrogen:
• 8.78;
• the product does not contain nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur;
• (c) absorbance peaks within the ultra-violet range at 304.0 nm, 317.2 nm, 332.4 nm, 350.4 nm at a concentration of 0.022 mg/ml in ethanol:water (50:50 v/v);
• (d) absorption peaks within the infrared range (cm.sup.-1):
• 3402, 3014, 2970, 2936, 2879, 2041, 1725, 1636, 1457, 1379, 1311, 1266, 1175, 1109, 1072, 1008, 905, 847, 823, 745, 706, 583, 535, 515, 480;
• (e) N.M.R. spectrum of .sup.1 H showing the following main peaks:
• (ppm):
• 6.43-6.24 (m, 12H);
• 6.24-6.07 (m, 4H);
• 5.96 (m, 2H);
• 5.62 (m, 2H);
• 5.33 (bs, 1H);
• 5.19 (bs, 1H);
• 5.03 (bs, 1H);
• 4.96 (bs, 2H);
• 4.93 (bs, 1H) 4.86 (m, 4H);
• 4.70 (m, 2H);
• 4.42 (bs, 2H);
• 3.94-3.36 (m, 12H);
• 2.41 (m, 2H);
• 2.32 (m, 1H);
• 2.20 (m, 1H);
• 1.92-1.45 (m, 6H), 1.45-1.09 (m, 42H);
• 1.25 (d, 6H);
• 1.11 (d, 3H);
• 1.07 (d, 6H);
• 0.95 (d, 6H), 0.88 (t, 3H);
• (f) N.M.R. spectrum of 1.degree. C. showing the following main peaks:
• (ppm):
• 173.7 (s);
• 173.1 (s);
• 136.5 (d);
• 136.5 (d);
• 136.5 (d);
• 136.3 (d);
• 133.1 (d);
• 133.1 (d);
• 132.9 (d);
• 132.9 (d);
• 132.7 (d);
• 132.5 (d);
• 132.1 (d);
• 131.9 (d);
• 131.6 (d);
• 131.4 (d);
• 131.2 (d);
• 131.1 (d);
• 130.6 (d);
• 130.3 (d);
• 129.5 (d);
• 129.2 (d);
• 74.7 (d);
• 74.4 (d);
• 74.1 (d);
• 73.6 (d);
• 72.0 (d);
• 71.9 (d);
• 71.5 (d);
• 71.4 (d);
• 71.4 (d);
• 71.2 (d);
• 69.7 (d);
• 69.6 (d);
• 67.7 (d);
• 67.3 (d);
• 54.1 (d);
• 46.1 (d);
• 45.5 (d);
• 45.4 (d);
• 43.4 (t);
• 42.9 (t);
• 41.7 (t);
• 41.5 (t);
• 40.1 (d);
• 39.5 (d);
• 38.9 (t);
• 38.9 (t);
• 38.8 (t);
• 38.7 (t);
• 38.2 (t);
• 38.1 (t);
• 22.5 (t);
• 22.4 (t);
• 22.1 (t);
• 19.0 (q);
• 18.7 (q);
• 15.9 (q);
• 15.6 (q);
• 13.2 (q);
• 11.3 (q);
• 10.4 (q);
• 10.2 (q);
• (g) a retention time (R.sub.t) of 3.65 minutes by reverse-phase HPLC on a Merck's Lichrosorb RP-18 column of mm 250.times.4, precolumn Merck C18, eluent MeOH:H.sub.2 O (86:14 v/v), with a flowrate of 1 ml/minute and at the temperature of 35.degree. C.