Polycyclic ether antibiotics, process for producing them and animal feed compositions containing them

Abstract

 Antibiotics 47,433 and 47,434 are produced by culture of Actinomycete micro-organism ATCC 31286, and are useful for controlling coccidiosis in poultry by administration in the diet, and for improving feed utilisation in ruminants and monogastric animals.
Antibiotic 47,433 as crystalline free acid is soluble in methanol, acetone, chloroform, methylisobutyl ketone, ethyl acetate and insoluble in water; m.p. 89-99°C; (a)D = +16° (C=₁.₀, MeOH); average composition by weight: 64.92% carbon, 9.73% hydrogen and 25.35% oxygen (by difference); infrared absorption (KBr pellets, in microns):2.87,3.42, 5.77, 6.85, 7.30. 8.05, 8.60, 9.20, 10.15, 10.53 and 11.45; following crystalline salts are described: -Na(m.p. 226-32°; (a)D --0.2° (C=1.0, MeOH), -K (m.p. 202.-5°; (α)_D = -3.2 (C=1.0, MeOH), -Ag (m.p. 180-2°: (α)_D = +3.6° (C=1.0, MeOH). Antibiotic 47.434 as crystalline sodium salt is soluble in chloroform, ethyl acetate, methylisobutyl ketone and insoluble in water; m.p. 230-238°C, (α)_D = -1.3° (C-1.0, MeOH); infra-red absorption (KBr pellets, in microns): 3.40, 6.40, 6.85, 7.14, 7.27, 7.75, 8.05, 8.40, 8.62, 9.10, 9.40,10.07, 10.50, 11.49.12.65 and 13.25.

Description

[0001] This invention is concerned with new members of the acidic polycyclic ether group of antibiotics, a class of compounds characterized biologically by their effect on cation transport in mitochondria. This family of antibiotics includes monensin (J. _Amer. Chem. Soc., 89:5737, 1967); nigericin (Biochem. Biophys. _Res. _Comm., 33:29, 1968); grisorixin (J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., 1421, 1970); dianemycin (J. Antibiotics, 22:161, 1969); salinomycin (J. Antibiotics, 27:814, 1974); X-537A (J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., 967, 1972); X-206 (J. Chen. Soc. Chem. Commun., 927, 1971); and A204A (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 95:3399, 1973).

[0002] The polycyclic ether antibiotics listed above are active against Gram-positive bacteria, fungi and protozoa, and also exhibit potent anticoccidial activity.

[0003] The control of coccidiosis continues to be a serious problem to the poultry industry. There are six species of coccidia which produce easily discernible morbidity in susceptible chickens. Eimeria tenella, E. necatrix, E. brunetti, E. acervulina, E. maxima and E. mivati produce damage either directly through destruction of epithelial cells of the digestive tract or indirectly through production of toxins. Three other species of protozoa belonging to the same genus, E. mitis, E. hagani and E. praecox, are considered to be relatively innocuous, but are capable of reducing weight gain, lowering feed efficiency and adversely affecting egg production.

[0004] The polycyclic ether antibiotics possess a high degree of effectiveness against all species of Eimeria. These antibiotics can, therefore, be regarded as "broad spectrum" coccidiostats.

[0005] This invention is concerned with new polycyclic ether antibiotics produced by a new species of actinomycete under submerged aerobic conditions in aqueous nutrient media. Antibiotic compounds 47 , 433 and 47 , 434 or mixtures of antibiotic compounds 47,433 and 47,434 and their cationic salts are active against a variety of micro-organisms, effective in controlling coccidiosis in poultry and act to improve feed utilisation efficiency in ruminants.

[0006] The antibiotic producing micro-organism of the present invention, isolated from a soil sample in Japan, was found on examination to have the morphological features of an actinomycete such as narrow hyphae and sparse aerial mycelium. No spores were found on the media tested with the exception of tyrosine agar on which hyphal swellings were produced on substrate mycelium.

[0007] The culture was planted from an agar slant into liquid ATCC 172 medium (American Type Culture Catalogue, 10th Edition p. 235 1972) grown for 4 days at 28 °C on a rotary shaker and planted from the resultant growth to fresh liquid ATCC 172 medium. After-7 days of incubation at 28°C on a shaker,-it was centrifuged, washed twice with sterile distilled water and then planted on media commonly used for identification of members of the actinomycetes.

[0008] Inoculated media were incubated at 28°C. Readings of results were made at different times but most final results were recorded at the end of 14 days. The colours were described in common terminology but exact colours were determined by comparison with colour chips from the Colour Harmony Manual, fourth edition.

[0009] Identification media used for the characterisation of the culture and references for their composition are. as follows:

1. Tryptone-Yeast Extract Broth (ISP 1 medium, Difco).

2. Yeast Extract-Malt Extract Agar (ISP 2 medium, Difco).

3. Oatmeal Agar (ISP 3 medium, Difco).

4. Inorganic Salts-Starch Agar (ISP 4 medium, Difco).

5. Glycerol-Asparagine Agar (ISP 5 medium, Difco).

6. Peptone-Yeast Extract Iron Agar (ISP 6 medium, Difco).

7. Tyrosine Agar (ISP 7 medium, Difco).

8. Gelatin - R. E. Gordon and J. M. Mihm, Jr. Bact. 73: 15-27, 1957.

9. Starch - Ibid.

10. Potato Carrot Agar - M.P. Lechevalier, Jr. Lab. and Clinical Med. 71: 934-944, 1968 but use only 30 g potatoes, 2.5 g carrots and 20 g agar.

11. 2% Tap Water Agar.

12. Czapek-Sucrose Agar - S. A. Waksman, The Actinomycetes, Vo. 2, medium No. 1, p. 328.

13. Emerson's Agar - Ibid, medium No. 28, p. 331.

14. Nutrient Agar - Ibid, medium No. 14, p. 330.

15. Calcium Malate Agar - S. A. Waksman, Bact. Rev. 21: 1-29, 1957.

16. Peptone-Czapek Agar - J. N. Couch, Jr. Elisha Mitchell Soc. 79: 53-70, 1963.

17. Potato Dextrose Agar - Ibid.

18. Yeast Extract Soluble Starch Agar - Ibid, Medium.M-70a, p. 677.

19. Yeast Extract-Malt Extract Agar with coconut milk - ISP medium 2 plus 50 cc coconut milk per litre of medium.

20. Carbohydrates (ISP medium 9).

[0010] The culture (Pfizer F.D. 25934) was described as follows on the various media:

Yeast Extract-Malt Extract Agar - Growth good, greyish to greyish black (near grey series 2 dc to 2 dl), raised, wrinkled, with white to greyish aerial mycelium; reverse black; brownish soluble pigment. Oatmeal Agar - Growth moderate, cream to faint pink (near grey series 3 ba), thin, smooth, with no to scant, short aerial mycelium; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Inorganic Salts-Starch Agar - Growth very scant, colourless to pale greyish at end of streak (near grey series 2 fe), very thin , smooth; reverse colourless; no soluble pigment.

Glycerol-Asparagine Agar - Growth poor, cream (near grey series 1 ba), thin, smooth, with no to scant, short aerial mycelium; reverse like surface, no soluble pigment.

Tyrosine Agar - Growth poor, cream to pale yellowish (1 ca to 1 ea), thin, smooth, no aerial mycelium; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Gelatin - Growth moderate, avellaneous (3 ec to 3 ge), slightly raised, wrinkled but granular in some areas, no aerial mycelium; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Starch - Growth moderate, avellaneous (4 ec to 4 ge), thin to slightly raised at the end of streak, smooth but slightly roughened at the end of streak, with scant white aerial mycelium in some areas; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Potato Carrot Agar - Growth poor to moderate, pale greyish (near grey series 1 cb to 1 dc), thin, smooth; reverse like surface; no soluble Tap Water Agar - Growth scant, colourless, thin, smooth, with no to scant, very short aerial mycelium; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Czapek Sucrose Agar - Growth poor, pale cream (near grey series 2 ba), thin, smooth, no aerial mycelium; reverse colourless; no soluble pigment.

Emerson's Agar - Growth moderate to good, greyish black' (near grey series 2 ib), raised, wrinkled ; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Nutrient Agar - Growth poor to moderate, cream (2 ca), smooth, with a few small, isolated black dots, no aerial mycelium; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Calcium Malate Acrar - Growth scant to poor, colourless to pale greyish (near grey series 2 dc to 2 fe), thin, smooth; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Peptone Czapek Agar - Growth moderate, pinkish orange (5 ea to 5 ga), thin, smooth, no aerial mycelium; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

potato Dextrose Agar - Growth moderate, greyish (near grey series 1 fe to 1 ih), thin, smooth to granular, with white to pale greyish aerial mycelium; reverse like surface; no soluble pigment.

Yeast Starch Agar - Growth moderate, pinkish orange (5 gc), thin, smooth to slightly granular, with scant white aerial mycelium in some areas; reverse like surface; pale yellowish soluble pigment.

Yeast Extract-Malt Extract Agar with Coconut Milk - Growth good, pale greyish (near grey series 2 dc to 2 ih), raised, granular to wrinkled, with white to pale greyish aerial mycelium; reverse greyish; brown soluble pigment.

Biochemical Properties - No melanin; no digestion of Ca malate; no soluble pigment on tyrosine; carbon utilisation: on ISP 9 medium there were many doubtful results.

Morphological Properties - Hyphae narrow, branched, 0.4 - 0.6 µm in diam.; hyphal swellings produced on tyrosine agar, terminal or intercalary, scattered or contiguous, globose, oval, broadly elliptical to elongated, smooth, 1.5-3.5 µm in diam. or 2.8-5.5 x 1.1-2.8 µm.

[0011] Because of the hyphal swellings and absence of spores, the culture (Pfizer F.D. 25934) was classified as a species of actinomycete. It was deposited at The American Type Culture Collection on 8th April, 1977 and was given the accession number _ATCC 31286.

[0012] Cultivation of the actinomycete culture preferably takes place in aqueous nutrient media at a temperature of 28-36 C, and under submerged aerobic conditions with agitation. Nutrient media which are useful for such purposes include a source of assimilable carbon such as sugars, starches and glycerol; a source of organic nitrogen such as casein, enzymatic digest of casein, soybean meal, cotton seed meal, peanut meal, wheat gluten, soy flour, meat meal and fish meal. A source of growth substances such as grain solubles and yeast extract as well as.salts such as sodium chloride and calcium carbonate and trace elements such as iron, magnesium, zinc, cobalt, and manganese may also be utilised with advantageous results. If excessive foaming is encountered during fermentation, antifoam agents such as vegetable oils or silicones may be added to the fermentation medium. Aeration of the medium in tanks for submerged growth is-preferably maintained at the rate of about 1/2 to 2 volumes of free air per volume of broth per minute. Agitation may be maintained by means of agitators generally familiar to those in the fermentation industry. Aseptic conditions must, of course; be maintained through the transfer of the organism and throughout its growth.

[0013] Inoculum for the preparation of the antibiotic may be obtained by employing growth from a slant of the culture. The growth may be used to inoculate either shake flasks or inoculum tanks or the inoculum tanks may be seeded from the shake flasks. Growth in shaken flasks will generally have reached its maximum in 3 to 5 days whereas inoculum in submerged inoculum tanks will usually be at the most favourable period in 3 to 4 days. Substantial antibiotic activity is obtained in the final fermenter stage in approximately 3 to 5 days. The antibiotic levels range from 50 to 500 mg per litre.

[0014] The process of antibiotic production is conveniently followed during fermentation by biological assay of the broth employing a sensitive strain of Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus subtilis. Standard plate assay technique is employed in which the zone of inhibition surrounding a filter paper disc saturated with the broth is used as a measure of antibiotic potency.

[0015] Thin-layer chromatography employing silica gel is a useful tool for analyzing the antibiotics produced in fermentation media and the composition of crude and purified materials extracted from the fermentation broths.

[0016] The Analtech silica, gel GF chromatograms are developed with ethyl acetate. The antibiotics, compound 47,433(major, least polar) and compound 47,434 (minor, more polar) are visualised by spraying with 3_% vanillin in ethanolic sulfuric acid (97:3 v/v). They show up as pinkish red spots on a white background on warming on a steam bath or a hot plate. Bio-overlay with agar seeded with a sensitive strain of Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus subtilis is a further procedure for detection of these antibiotics.

[0017] The antibiotics may be separated and recovered by extracting the whole, unfiltered fermentation broth with an organic solvent such as chloroform, ethyl acetate, methylisobutyl ketone or butanol at a pH range of 4.0 to 10.0. A major portion of the antibiotic activity is contained in the mycelium and may be extracted therefrom by slurrying the separated mycelium with a water-soluble solvent such as methanol. The solvent is concentrated to a thin syrup.

[0018] A method of separation and recovery of antibiotics 47,433 and 47,434 is as follows: Separated wet mycelium from fermentation broth is extracted several times with methanol. The methanol is evaporated in vacuo to provide an aqueous extract which is extracted several times with chloroform. The chloroform extracts are combined and evaporated under vacuum to a viscous oil which is dissolved in heptane. Silica gel is added to the solution and the resultant slurry is evaporated to dryness on a rotary evaporator. The silica gel is placed on a large sintered glass funnel and washed with heptane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and acetone.

[0019] The desired antibiotics are contained almost exclusively in the ethyl acetate fraction. This fraction is evaporated to dryness, redissolved in ethyl acetate and stirred with water. The pH is adjusted to9.0 with 1.ON sodium hydroxide. The ethyl acetate phase is separated, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated under vacuum. The residue is taken up in a small volume of methanol at which time crystallisation occurs.

[0020] The crystalline material may be further purified by column chromatography employing silica gel developed with ethyl acetate-heptane (30:70). Appropriate column cuts containing compound 47,433 are combined and evaporated to dryness. The residue is dissolved in ethyl acetate and the pH adjusted to 5.0 while stirring with water. The ethyl acetate phase is separated and added to 5% disodium phosphate buffer and the pH adjusted to 9.0 with 1.ON sodium hydroxide. The ethyl acetate phase is separated and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The residue is taken up in acetone whereupon crystallisation occurs.

[0021] Column cuts rich in the minor component compound 47,434 are combined, chromatographed on silica gel and eluted with heptane- ethyl acetate.(1:1 v/v). Appropriate cuts are combined, washed with a pH 5.0 aqueous phase and then with disodium phosphate buffer at pH 9.0. The solvent phase is separated, dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated to dryness under vacuum. The residue is crystallised from acetone as the sodium salt of compound 47,434.

[0022] Antibiotic compounds 47,433 and 47,434 exhibit inhibitory action action against the growth of a number of Gram-positive micro-organisms. These compounds and their cationic salts exhibit excellent activity against coccidiosis infections in poultry. When incorporated into the diet of chickens at dose levels of 2.5 to 100 ppm, these compounds are effective in controlling infections due to Eimeria tenella, E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. brunetti and E. necatrix.

[0023] Efficacy data for compound 47,433 and its cationic salts against coccidiosis infections in chickens were obtained as follows: Groups of 3-5 ten-day old SPF white leghorn cockerel chicks were fed a mash diet containing antibiotic compound 47,433 (or its sodium and/or potassium salt) uniformly dispersed therein at various dose levels. After being on this ration for 24 hours, each chick was inoculated per os with oocysts of the particular species of Eimeria being tested. Other groups of 3-5 ten-day old chicks were fed a similar mash diet free from antibiotic compound 47,433 or its salts. They were also infected after 24'hours and served as infected controls. Still other groups of chicks were fed the mash diet free of antibiotic compound 47,433 and were not infected with coccidiosis. These served as normal controls. The results of treatment were evaluated after five days in the case of E. acervulina and six days for all other challenges and are shown in Table I.

[0024] The criteria used to measure anticoccidial activity consisted of lesion scores of 0 to 4 for E. tenella after J. E. Lynch (1961, "A new method for the primary evaluation of anticoccidial activity", Am. J. Vet. Res. 22:324-326); and 0 to 3 for the other species based on a modification of the scoring system devised by J. Johnson and W. H. Reid (1970, "Anticoccidial drugs. Lesion scoring techniques in battery and floor pen experiments in chicks", Exp. Parasit. 28:38-36). The "average degree of infection" indicates the average lesion score at each dose level, while the "ratio" (established by dividing the lesion score of each treated group by the lesion score of the infected control) indicates the effective reduction of the degree of infection by the antibiotic compound at each dose level.

[0025] substantially the same results may be obtained with antibiotic compound 47,434 or mixtures of antibiotic compound 47,433 and antibiotic compound 47,434

[0026] The value of animal feeds generally has been determined directly by feeding the animal. British Patent Specification No. 1,197,826 details an in vitro ruhen technique whereby the changes occurring in feeds brought about by micro-organisms are measured more readily and with great accuracy in the evaluation of animal feeds. This technique nvolves the use f an apparatus in which the digestive processes of the animals are constructed and studied in vitro. The animal feeds, runen inoculum and various growth promotants are introduced into and withdrawn from a liboratory unit under carefully controlled conditions and the chafes taking place are studied critically and progressively durig the consumption of the feed by the micro-organims. An increase in the propionic acid content in the rumen fluid indicates that a desirable response in overall ruminant performance has been brought about by the growth promotant in the feed compontion. The charge e in propionic acid content is expressed as perent of the propionic acid content found in the control rumen fluid. Long. term in vivo feeding studies are used to show a reliable corelation betwee propionic acid increase in the rumen fluid and im roved animal pe formance. ,

[0027] Rumen fluid is collected from a fistulated cow which is fed on a commerical fattening ration plus hay. The rumen fluid is immediately filtered through cheese cloth, and 10 ml added to a 50 ml conical flask containing 400 mg of standard substrate (68_% corn starch + 17% cellulose + 15% extracted soybean meal), 10 ml of a pH 6.8 buffer and the test compound. The flasks are gassed with oxygen free nitrogen for about two minutes, and incubated in a shaking water bath at 39⁰C for about 16 hours. All tests are conducted in triplicate.

[0028] After incubation 5 ml of the sample are mixed with 1 ml of 25_% metaphosphoric acid. After 10 minutes 0.25 ml of formic acid is added and the mixture centrifuged at 1,500 r.p.m. for 10 minutes. Samples are then analyzed by gas liquid chromatography by the method of D. W. Kellog in J. Dairy Science 52, 1690 (1969). Peak heights for acetic, propionic and butyric acids are determined for samples from untreated and treated incubation flasks.

[0029] When tested by this in vitro procedure, the sodium salt of compound 47,433 (20 p.p.m.) gave rise to a 50% increase in the production of propionic acid over that produced in the control solution without added compound 47,433.

[0030] Substantially the same results may be obtained with the free acid, potassium salt or mixtures of the free acid, potassium salt and sodium salt of the antibiotic compound 47,433. Similar results may be obtained with antibiotic compound 47,434 or mixtures of pure compounds 47,433 and 47,434 or the cationic salts thereof.

[0031] Based'.on these data, it can be predicted that improvement of feed utilisation by ruminants such as cattle and sheep, and by mono-gastric animals such as horses, pigs and rabbits, will be comparable with that obtained by commercially available Monensin, a polycyclic ether antibiotic. Antibiotic compounds 47,433 and 47,434 and mixtures of antibiotic compounds 47,433 and 47,434 may be incorporated in feed compositions as the free acid, sodium salt, potassium salt or mixtures thereof.

[0032] Crude antibiotic mixtures of compouns 47,433 and 47,434 or the dried fermentation medium containing the two antibiotics may be incorporated in feed compositions for ruminants or monogastric animals at the desired potency concentrations for improving feed utilisation, or incorporated into the diet of chickens at the desired dose levels for controlling coccidiosis infections in poultry.

[0033] The following are examples of the preparation and isolation of compounds 47,433 and 47,434.

EXAMPLE I

[0034] A sterile aqueous medium having the following composition was prepared:

[0035] Cells from a slant of Actinomycete sp. ATCC, 31286 were transferred to a series of 300 ml flasks each containing 50 ml of this sterile medium and shaken on a rotary shaker at 28-30°C for 3 - 4 days. An aliquot of the grown culture, sufficient to provide a 5_% v/v inoculum, was transferred to four-litre fermentors each containing two litres of the following sterile medium:

[0036] The fermentation was conducted at 28-36 C with stirring at 1700 revolutions per minute and aeration at 1. 5 to 2 volumes of air per volume of broth per minute until substantial activity was obtained (48 - 120 hours). The whole broth, without pH adjustment, was twice extracted with 1/3 to 1/2 volume of methylisobutyl ketone. The separated solvent extracts were combined and concentrated under vacuum to a thin syrup.

EXAMPLE 2

[0037] The inoculum medium of Example 1 was distributed in 700 ml amounts in 4 to 8 shake flasks and inoculated with cells of Actinomycete sp. ATCC 31286. After incubation at 28°C on a rotary shaker for 3 to 8 days, a 3 to 5% v/v inoculum was introduced into a 190 litre fermenter containing 95 litres of the following sterile medium:

[0038] The fermentation was conducted for a period of 5 days at 30°C with an aeration rate of one volume of air per volume of medium per minute.

[0039] The separated mycelium from 95 litres of broth was extracted three times with 19 litres (each time) of methanol. The combined methanolic extracts were evaporated under vacuum to provide an aqueous extract of about 12 litres which was extracted 4 times with 4 litres (each time) of chloroform. The cluloroform extracts were combined and evaporated under vacuum to yield 51 grams of a viscous yellow oil. The oil was dissolved in 500 ml of heptane. Column grade silica gel 60 (E. Mexck, Darmstadt, Germany), about 500 grams, was added to the solution and the resultant slurry was evaporated to dryness on a rotary evaporator.

[0040] The silica gel was then placed on a large sintered glass funnel and washed successively with two litres each of heptane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and acetone. The desired antibiotics were shown by thin-layer chromatography to be contained almost exclusively in the ethyl acetate fraction. This fraction was evaporated to dryness (24 grams) and the other fractions were discarded.

[0041] The material was dissolved in 125 ml of ethyl acetate and stirred with 125 ml of water. The pH was raised to 9.0 with 1.0 N sodium hydroxide. The ethyl acetate phase was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated in vacuo. The residue was taken up in a small volume of methanol at which time crystallisation occurred. The crystals were removed by filtration and washed with methanol (5.1 grams).

[0042] The crude crystalline material was further purified by column chromatography on a 2.54 x 100 cm column packed with silica gel 60 in heptane. A portion of the crude crystalline material (2.5 grams) was applied to the column in solution in ethyl acetate-heptane (30:70) and the column developed with the same solvent system at a rate of 10 ml/minute with column cuts taken every two minutes. The column cuts were monitored by thin-layer chromatography. Following completion of the chromatography, the column was washed with heptane and the remaining 2.6 grams of crude crystalline material processed in the same manner.

[0043] Appropriate cuts containing the major antibiotic component compound 47,433 were combined and evaporated to dryness.

[0044] The residue was dissolved in 100 ml of ethyl acetate and the pH adjusted to 5.0 with 85% phosphoric acid while stirring with 100 ml of water. The ethyl acetate phase was added to 100 ml of 5% disodium phosphate buffer and the pH adjusted to 9.0 with 1N sodium hydroxide. The ethyl acetate phase was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. The residue was taken up in acetone whereupon crystallisation occurred. Crystals were collected by filtration and dried under high vacuum at room temperature to yield 2.7 grams of compound 47,433 as the sodium salt.

[0045] Those column cuts rich in minor component compound 47,434 were combined and chromatographed on silica gel 60 eluting with heptane: ethyl acetate (1:1 v/v). Appropriate cuts were combined, washed with a pH 5.0 aqueous phase with a subsequent wash with a pH 9.0 (disodium phosphate buffer adjusted to pH 9.0 with 1.0 N sodium hydroxide) aqueous phase. The solvent phase was dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated in vacuo to dryness. The residue was crystallised from acetone as the sodium salt (170 mg) of compound 47,434.

Compound 47,433 (sodium salt)"

[0046] The sodium salt of compound 47,433 is soluble in chloroform, ethyl acetate and methylisobutyl ketone; it is insoluble in water. The sodium salt, m.p. 226-232°C, is characterised by an average composition by weight of 62.75% carbon and 9.21% hydrogen; an optical rotation of [α]_D = -0.2° (c = 1.0, methanol); no ultra-violet light absorption spectrum; and when pelleted in KBr, distinguishable bands in the infra-red region as shown in Figure 2 at the following wavelengths in microns: 3.40, 6.40, 6.85, 7.12, 7.25, 8.02, 8.38, 8.60, 9.40, 10.05, 10.49, 11.45, 12.65 and 13.25.

Compound 47,433 (free acid)

[0047] The free acid was derived by washing an ethyl acetate solution of the sodium salt of Compound 47,433 with a pH 5.0 aqueous phase (water adjusted to pH 5.0 with 85% phosphoric acid). The solvent layer was concentrated in vacuo and crystallised from heptane as the free acid.

[0048] The free acid, m.p. 89-99°C, is soluble in methanol, acetone, chloroform, methylisobutyl ketone and ethyl acetate; it is insoluble in water.

[0049] The free acid is characterised by an average composition by weight of 64.92% carbon, 9.73% hydrogen and 25.35% oxygen (by difference); an optical rotation of [α]_D = +16 (c = 1.0, D methanol); no ultraviolet light absorption spectrum; and when pelleted in KBr, distinguishable bands in the infra-red region as shown in Figure 1 at the following wavelengths in microns: 2.87, 3.42, 5.77, 6.85, 7.30, 8.05, 8.60, 9.20, 10.15, 10.53 and 11.45.

Compound 47,433 (potassium salt

[0050] The potassium salt of Compound 47,433 was obtained by washing an ethyl acetate solution of the free acid with aqueous dipotassium hydrogen phosphate adjusted to pH 9.0 with 1.0 N potassium hydroxide. It was crystallised from heptane.

[0051] The potassium salt, m.p. 202-205°C is soluble in chloroform, ethyl acetate and methylisobutyl ketone; it is insoluble in water.

[0052] The compound is characterised by an average composition by weight of 62.57% carbon and 9.01% hydrogen; no ultraviolet light absorption spectrum; an optical rotation of [α]_D = -3.2° (c = 1.0, methanol); and when pelleted in KBr, distinguishable bands in the infra-red region as shown in Figure 3 at the following wavelengths in microns: 3.45, 6.40, 6.85, 7.16, 7.30, 8.05, 8.45, 8.65, 9.40, 10.13, 10.52 and 11.48.

Compound 47,433 (silver salt)

[0053] The silver salt of Compound 47,433 was prepared by the addition of silver nitrate in aqueous methanol to an aqueous methanolic solution of the sodium salt. Removal of the methanol under vacuum led to the separation of the silver salt. The salt is soluble in chloroform, ethyl acetate and methylisobutyl ketone; it is insoluble in water.

[0054] The silver salt of Compound 47,433 m.p. 180-182⁰C, is characterised by an average composition by weight of 57.85% carbon and 8.31% hydrogen; no ultraviolet light absorption spectrum; an optical rotation of [α]_D = +3.6 (c = 1.0, methanol); and when pelleted in KBr, distinguishable bands in the infra-red region as shown in Figure 4 at the following wavelengths in microns: 3.40, 6,45, 6.85, 7.10, 7.25, 8.04, 8.60, 9.12, 9.40, 10.08, 10.49, 11.47 and 12.65.

Compound 47,434 (sodium salt)

[0055] The sodium salt of Compound 47,434 is soluble in chloroform, ethyl acetate and methylisobutyl ketone; it is insoluble in water.

[0056] The crystalline compound, m.p. 230-238⁰C is characterised by an average composition by weight of 62.31% carbon and 9.12% hydrogen; and optical rotation of [α]_D =-1.3° (c = 1.0, methanol); no ultra-D violet light absorption spectrum; and when pelleted in KBr, distinguishable bands in the infra-red region as shown in Figure 5 at the following wavelengths in microns: 3.40, 6.40, 6.85, 7.14, 7.27, 7.75, 8.05, 8.40, 8.62, 9.10, 9.40, 10.17, 10.50, 11.49, 12.65 and 13.25.

Claims

1. A polycyclic ether antibiotic having the characteristics of one or other of the antibiotic compounds 47,433 and 47,434 produced by the new species of Actinomycete micro-organism ATCC 31286.

2. An antibiotic as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that when in the form of the crystalline free acid,itis soluble in methanol, acetone, chloroform, methylisobutyl ketone, ethyl acetate and insoluble in water; has a melting point of 89-99 C; has an optical rotation [α]_D of +16 at a concentration of 1_% in methanol; has an average composition by weight of 64.92_% carbon, 9.73% hydrogen and 25.35% oxygen (by difference); and, when pelleted in potassium bromide, exhibits characteristic absorption in the infra- red region at the following wavelengths in microns: 2.87, 3.42, 5.77, 6.85, 7.30, 8.05, 8.60, 9.20, 10.15, 10.53 and 11.45.

3. The antibiotic of claim 2, characterised in that it is in the form of the crystalline free acid or the crystalline sodium, potassium or silver salt.

4. An antibiotic as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, when in the form of the crystalline sodium salt, it is soluble in chloroform, ethyl acetate, methylisobutyl ketone and insoluble in water; has a melting point of 230-238⁰_C; has an optical rotation [α]_D of -1.3 at a concentration of 1% in methanol; and, when pelleted in potassium bromide, exhibits characteristic absorption in the infra-red region at the following wavelengths in microns: 3.40, 6.40, 6.85, 7.14, 7.27, 7.75, 8.05, 8.40, 8.62, 9.10, 9.40, 10.07, 10.50, 11.49, 12.65 and 13.25.

5. A process for producing a mixture of the antibiotics claimed in claim 1, which comprises cultivating the micro-organism Actinomycete sp. ATCC 31286 in an aqueous culture medium containing an assimilable source of carbon, nitrogen and inorganic salts until substantial antibiotic activity is obtained and, if desired, separating the antibiotic mixture from the medium.

6. A process according to claim 5 wherein the medium containing the mixture of antibiotics is taken to dryness.

7. A method of controlling coccidiosis in poultry which comprises administering to poultry an effective amount for controlling coccidiosis of at least one of the antibiotics claimed in claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable cationic salt thereof, incorporated in the diet of said poultry.

8. A method of controlling coccidiosis in poultry which comprises administering to poultry an effective amount for controlling coccidosis of the product of the process of claim 6.

9. A method for the improvement of feed utilisation by ruminants and monogastric animals which comprises administering to said animals an effective amount for said improvement of at least one of the antibiotics claimed in claim 1, or a cationic salt thereof.

10. A method for the improvement of feed utilisation by ruminants and monogastric animals which comprises administering to said animals an effective amount for said improvement of the product of the process of claim 6.

Drawing