Synthesis, physico-chemical and biological properties of some alkali metals and quaternary alkylammonium salts of polyene antibiotics: amphotericin B, nystatin and aureofungin.

Polyene antibiotics are known for their remarkable antifungal properties. The alkali metal and quaternary alkylammonium salts of amphotericin B, nystatin and aureofungin have been prepared by ion-exchange method. The physico-chemical and biological properties of these salts have been studied with a view to evaluate their therapeutic advantages over the parent compounds. While the majority of the salts reported herein showed more water solubility; triethylammonium salts, unlike the other alkali metal salts, possessed marginally improved or similar bioactivity in comparison to their parent antibiotic having reduced toxicity.