To provide an economical method for recovering natamycin with high efficiency as an antibiotic.
The process for the recovery of the natamycin comprises the steps: (1) adding methanol to a natamycin feed stream comprising at least 2 g/L of solid suspended natamycin to form an extraction medium, and maintaining the extraction medium at a temperature of 0 to 25°C, preferably not over 15°C; (2) adjusting the pH of the extraction medium to 1.0 to 4.5 while maintaining the temperature at 0 to 25°C, for 0.5 to 30 hours, but preferably not over 0.5 hour when the temperature is 15 to 25°C; (3) removing solids from the extraction medium to form an extraction liquor; (4) raising the pH of the extraction liquor to 6.0 to 9.0; and (5) recovering precipitated natamycin.
MILLIS JAMES R
REIMER MICHAEL HENRY
Hajime Asamura
Naganuma Akio