Novalichin, an antifungal antibiotic

ABSTRACT

A fungal strain S14, an organism isolated from a soil sample collected at Novaliches, Quezon city, Philippines was found to produce an antifungal antibiotic. The morphology and growth characteristics of the Fungal stain S14 were studied. The effects of various complex organic supplements on the production of the antifungal antibiotic in shake-flask fermentation and stationary cultures were investigated. Conditions of fermentation such as pH, aeration, days and temperature of incubation, amount of inoculum were studied for the production of the antifungal substance in 50-100 ml. scale. Additions of carbon sources such as sucrose or dextrose to the synthetic Czapek medium and other nitrogen sources such as yeast extract and soybeans significantly stimulated the biosynthesis of the antibioticMethods are described for the large scale fermentation isolation and partial purification of the antifungal antibiotic. The physico-chemical properties were investigated for possible characterization of the crude antibiotic. The antifungal substance inhibited the growth of some filamentous fungi and yeasts espeically the plant pathogen Ceratostomella paradoxa and Candida albicans but was found inactive against Gram+ and Gram- bacteria. (Summary)