Wide Spectrum Antibiotic (Patent No: 784213)

Inventor: Cook, Fred D.

Location: Edmonton

Comments: UBC Agriculture (1945); MA Soil Science (1947); PhD Soical Microbiology Edinburgh (1961); m, 3 children; came to Edmonton 1964; professor of soil science; Univeristy of Alberta; member of team that discovered Myxin, a major Canadian breakthrough in antibiotics suitable for treating human, plant and animal diseases; see Edmonton Journal, April 28, 1966

Description:
1. An antibiotic substance capable of inhibiting a wide variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and yeasts, the antibiotic crystallizing as small dark red needles; decomposing at 120-130°C into I-hydroxy-6-methoxy-phenazine N-10-oxide; having a UV absorption spectrum peak at 272 millimicrons (shoulder at 297) in 0.1N NaOH and a peak at 283 in 0.1N HCI (solution concentration 2 µg/ml); having a visible absorption spectrum with peaks at 348, 390 and 590 millimicrons in 0.1N NaOH, and peaks at 340 and 505 in 0.1N HCI (40 µg/ml); and characterized by infrared absorption at the following wavelengths in microns 3.44, 6.25, 6.42, 6.74, 6.93, 7.12, 7.22 (shoulder 7.34), 7.44, 7.59 (shoulder 7.75), 7.86, 8.24, 8.37, 8.48, 8.60, 8.91, 9.17, 9.31, 9.50 (shoulder 9.73), 10.51, 11.93, 12.84, 13,,18, 13.92, 14.50 and 15.31.

2. The antibiotic Myxin defined in claim 1 in substantially pure form.

3. The antibiotic Myxin defined in claim 1 characterized by having the phenazine ring structure.

4. A process for the production of the antibiotic Myxin which comprises cultivating a myxobacter Soranqium strain producing Myxin, in an aqueous nutrient medium containing assimilable sources of carbon, nitrogen and nutrient salts under aerobic conditions until substantial antibiotic concentration is achieved.

50. The process of claim 4 including separating the antibiotic from the culture by one of (a) solvent extraction and (b) adsorption on an ion exchange resin.

6. The process of claim 4 including purifying the antibiotic by chromatography on cellulose.