Leukaemomycin, in antibiotic with antitumor activity. II. Isolation and identification.

A Streptomyces strain belonging to Streptomyces griseus (Krainsky) Waksman et Henrici 1948 sensu Hütter (1967) was found to produce the red-pigment antibiotic leukaemomycin. The antitumor active antibiotic was isolated from the culture broth and purified by ion-exchange processes. The crude base of leukaemomycin mainly consists of 4 components with biological activity. The base-complex was separated by counter-current distribution into the biological active leukaemomycins B1, B2, C, and D. The single components of leukaemomycin were compared with the anthracycline antibiotics daunomycin, dihydrodaunomycin, and adriamycin. The analytical procedures allowed to state the identity of leukaemomycin B1 with rubomycin B, leukaemomycin C with daunomycin, leukaemomycin D with dihydrodaunomycin and allowed to suggest the identity of leukaemomycin B2 with daunosaminyldaunomycin. Formulas and physicochemical data are given. Bio-assay methods are described to determine leukaemomycin B complex beside leukaemomycin C.