Neo-nocardin, a New Antibiotic Produced by a New Species of Nocardia : 1. Taxonomical Studies of the Organism, Production and Extraction of the Antibiotic and its Antibacterial Activities

Abstract

1. I have found a new strain of nocardia which produced a new antibiotic designated as neo-nocardin. By the taxonomical studies of this strain it was found to belong to a new species of nocardia and was designated tentatively as Nocardia kuroishi n. sp.. Production of neo-nocardin by the surface culture of N. kuroishi A. 422 was investigated. Antibacterial activity of the fermented broth was suppressed by NaCl and increased with the increase in pH of test media. Addition of agar in the culture media increases the growth of the organism and the production of neo-nocardin. Glucose broth is a good media for the production of neo-nocardin, if 0.2 or 0.3 per cent agar is added to the media. 3. Method of extraction of neo-nocardin from the fermented broth was investigated. After the adsorption of the antibiotic to the activated carbon it was eluted into 4/100 N HCl methanol and then precipitated with ether. The crude neo-nocardin hydrochloride as well as fermented broth of this organism were active against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. 4. In mice injected with 2mg of crude neo-nocardin hydrochloride intraperitoneally any remarkable toxic effects were not observed. 5. Crude neo-nocardin hydrochloride has the equal activity as streptomycin against tubercle bacilli in vitro.