[Antiviral action of carbonyl-conjugated pentaene macrolides]

Clear antiviral activity of carbonyl-conjugated pentaene macrolides, such as flavofungin, mycothicin, brunefungin and flavopentin was shown on models with infectious and oncogenic viruses. The antibiotics were active against influenza A and B virus. The effect was most pronounced in the in vitro and in ovo systems. On a model of experimental influenza infection of mice with the lethal outcome, antiinfluenzal activity of flavofungin was comparable to that of remantadin. However, unlike the latter one flavofungin and brunefungin inhibited the growth of influenza B virus. The drugs had a pronounced inhibitory effect on variolavaccine virus and prevented formation of foci of cell neoplastic transformation infected with various strains of Rous sarcoma virus.