Isolation and characterization of terpentecin, a new antitumor antibiotic.

A new antitumor antibiotic, terpentecin was isolated from the culture broth of strain MF730-N6. Strain MF730-N6, isolated from soil, was found to belong to the genus Kitasatosporia. The antibiotic was extracted with chloroform, purified by column chromatography using silica gel and Diaion HP-20 successively, and finally purified by high performance reverse-phase thin layer chromatography. The molecular formula of terpentecin was determined to be C20H28O6 (molecular weight, 364). The antibiotic inhibited the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and prolonged the survival period of mice bearing leukemia L-1210, P388 and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.