Bacereutin, an antifungal antibiotic isolated from metabolites of Bacillus cereus CHU 130.

An antifungal metabolite, bacereutin, was isolated from culture filtrate of Bacillus cereus CHU 130. The bacterium was isolated from soils collected in Changhwa County, Taiwan, and was grown in soybean meal-mannitol broth for production of the antibiotic metabolite. The antibiotic metabolite was isolated by adsorption column chromatography of Amberite XAD-2 and was purified by passing through the chromatographic columns packed with Dowex 50W-X8, Sephadex LH 20 and Biogel P-2. The antibiotic metabolite was soluble in water and 87% acetone, and was slightly soluble in methanol, but was not dissolved in n-propanol, n-butanol, acetone, benzene and ethyl acetate. The antibiotic metabolite was a heat-stable and ninhydrin-positive substance. The antibiotic activities of bacereutin were tested by means of the agar-diffusion plate method. The antibiotic metabolite inhibited the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CHU 1, Paecilomyces variotii CHU 6, Rhizomucor miehei CHU 40 and Fusarium oxysportum CHU 98. Bacereutin was a ninhydrin-positive antifungal antibiotic.