[Effect of the molecular structure of natural anthracycline antibiotics on their relative hydrophobicity].

Relative hydrophobicities of anthracycline antibiotics, adriamycin, rubomycin and carminomycin, have been measured by the two-phase distribution method. Two different biphasic systems were used for this purpose. Possible reasons of discrepancies between results obtained and other authors, data are discussed. It was established that the relative hydrophobicities of the compounds investigated contradict the theory of increment additivity. The results are compared with quantum-chemical calculations.