Method for extracting a macrolide from biomatter

A method for obtaining a macrolide selected from the group consisting of tacrolimus, ascomycin, pimecrolimus, sirolimus, and everolimus from macrolide-containing biomatter, wherein the macrolide-containing biomatter is tacrolimus-containing biomatter when tacrolimus is to be obtained, ascomycin-containing biomatter when ascomycin is to be obtained, pimecrolimus-containing biomatter when pimecrolimus is to be obtained, sirolimus-containing biomatter when sirolimus is to be obtained, and everolimus-containing biomatter when everolimus is to be obtained, comprising the steps of:

• a) extracting macrolide-containing biomaffer that is whole fermentation broth obtained by fermentation of a microorganism selected from the group consisting of Streptomyces tsukubaensis, Streptomyces hygroscopicus, Streptomyces lividans, Streptomyces hygroscopicus hygroscopicus, and Streptomyces hygroscopicus ascomyceticus with a hydrophobic extraction solvent selected form the group consisting of n-butanol, iso-butanol, n-butyl acetate, iso-butyl acetate, t-butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, ethyl formate, butyl methyl ketone, dichloromethane, chloroform, tetrachioromethane, dichloroethane and toluene to obtain a solution of macrolide in hydrophobic extraction solvent at a temperature between about 20° C. and about 70° C. and a pH of between 8 and about 13,
• b) separating the macrolide-containing solution from the extracted macrolide-containing biomatter,
• c) concentrating the macrolide-contaiing solution,
• d) loading the concentrated macrolide-containing solution onto a silica gel chromatography column and eluting the column with an eluent to obtain at least one macrolide-containing fraction that is a macrolide-containing solution, and
• e) separating the macrolide.

A method of obtaining a macrolide selected from the group consisting of tacrolimus, ascomycin, pimecrolimus, sirolimus, and everolimus from macrolide-containing biomatter, wherein the macrolide-containing biomatter is tacrolimus-containing biomatter when tacrolimus is to be obtained, ascomycin-containing biomatter when ascomycin is to be obtained, pimecrolimus-containing biomafter when punecrolimus is to be obtained, sirolimus-containing biomatter when sirolimus is to be obtained, and everolimus-contaming biomaffer when everolimus is to be obtained, comprising the steps of:

• a) extracting a macrolide-containing biomaffer that is whole fermentation broth obtained by fermentation of a microorganism selected from the group consisting of Streptomyces tsukubaensis, Streptomyces hygroscopicus, Streptomyces lividans, Streptomyces hygroscopicus hygroscopicus, and Streptomyces hygroscopicus ascomyceticus, wherein the pH of the macrolide-containing biomaffer is between 8 and about 13, with iso-butyl acetate to obtain a solution of
• a macrolide in iso-butyl acetate at a temperature between about 2° C. and about 70° C.,
• b) separating the macrolide-containing solution from the extracted macrolide-containing biomatter, to obtain a concentrated macrolide-containing solution,
• c) concentrating the macrolide-containing solution,
• d) loading the concentrated macrolide-containing solution onto a silica gel chromatography column and eluting with an eluent to obtain at least one macrolide-containing fraction that is a macrolide-containing solution,
• e) concentrating at least one macrolide-containing fraction, and
• f) separating the macrolide.