NEW MATERIAL:AX-2 of formula having the following physical and chemical properties: melting point, 75.5W77.5°C; elemental analysis, C 55.16%, H 5.55%, N 11.74%; specific rotation, [α]D=-27.3° (C=0.17, CHCl3); solubility, soluble in ethyl acetate, chloroform, methanol, etc., hardly soluble in water, insoluble in petroleum ether and n-hexane.
USE: An antitumor agent.
PROCESS: A microbial strain belonging to Streptomyces genus or Micromonospora genus and capable of producing AX-2 [e.g. Streptomyces caespitosus T-17-135 (NRRL 12508)] is cultured in a medium under aerobic condition to produce and accumulate the AX-2 in the cultured product. The filtrate of the product is adsorbed with a synthetic adsorbent etc., and eluted e.g. with methanol. The solvent is removed from the eluate, and the residue is purified to obtain AX-2.
KATSUMATA SHIGEO
ARAI TAKEMITSU
ASHIZAWA TADASHI
MORIMOTO MAKOTO
SHIRAHATA KIMIKATSU
SAITOU YUTAKA
KOUNO KAZUMICHI