[Physicochemical properties and structure of the nonmacrolide polyene antibiotic altamycin A]

Altamycin A, an antibiotic described earlier was classified by its physicochemical and biological properties as belonging to the subgroup of polyenic nonmacrolides. Physicochemical properties of altamycin A and other representatives of nitrogen-containing polyenic nonmacrolides are presented. It is shown that the molecule of the antibiotic contains D-digitoxose (a sugar). The structure of the antibiotic aglycone was determined by the mass spectra of the oxidative degradation products of perhydroantibiotic, methyl heptahydroantibiotic and methyl permethylperhydroaglycone. Unlike alpha-lipomycin, altamycin A contains the tetraene system of conjugated methylene bonds.