Studies on the Structure of Streptothricin

Abstract

The basic antibiotic streptothricin, of which the probable empirical formula is C₂₀H₃₄N₈₀O₉, is degraded by hydrolysis with refluxing 3 N hydrochloric acid for 6 hours. The hydrolysis products are ammonia, carbon dioxide, and three other components which react with ninhydrin to form colored products. Paper chromatograms of these hydrolysates, developed with phenol- water and with ninhydrin as a color producing reagent, reveal intense spots associated with the three degradation products. The fastest moving component (Rf 0.35) has been named Compound A; the second component (Rf 0.18), Compound B; and the slowest moving component (Rf 0.08), Compound C.