Cytotoxic Compounds from the Marine Actinobacterium Streptomyces corchorusii AUBN 1 /7

G. Adinarayana a# , M. R. Venkateshan a , V. V. S. N. K. Bapiraju b , P. Sujatha b , J. Premkumar b , P. Ellaiah b , and A. Zeeck c

# Phone: +006 03 8656 7228 Ext: 2527, fax: +006 03 8656 7229, e-mail: gklsnarayana@rediffmail.com
a School of Pharmacy, International Medical University , Sesama centre, PlazaKomanwel , Bukit jalil , Kuala Lumpur , 57000 Malaysia
b Biotechnology Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam , 530003 India
c Institut für Organische Chemie, George-August Universität, Tammannstraße 2, Gottingen , D-37077Germany

Received August 2, 2005; in final form, September 2, 2005

Abstract: We isolated a bioactive streptomycete from marine sediment samples collected at Bay of Bengal, India, during our systematic study of marine actinobacteria. The taxonomic studies indicated that the isolate is related to Strepomyces corchorusii. However, it differed in certain aspects, and, hence, was designated as S. corchorusii AUBN@1/7. A solvent extraction followed by a chromatographic purification helped obtain from the isolate two cytotoxic compounds, which were identified as resistomycin, a quinone-related antibiotic, and tetracenomycin D, an anthraquinone antibiotic, on the basis of spectral data of pure compounds. They demonstrated in vitro a potent cytotoxic activity against cell lines HMO2 (gastric adenocarcinoma) and HePG2 (hepatic carcinoma) and also exhibited weak antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Key words: cytotoxic compounds, marine actinomycetes , resistomycin , tetracenomycin D

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry 2006, 32 (3):295-300