Butirosin, a new aminoglycosidic antibiotic complex: isolation and characterization.

Butirosin, a new water-soluble aminoglycosidic antibiotic complex, active against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, has been isolated from fermentation filtrates of Bacillus circulans by ion exchange. The complex has been resolved into isomeric A and B components, C(21)H(41)N(5)O(12), by means of Dowex 1 x 1 or Dowex 1 x 2 chromatography. Properties of the free bases and the N, N', N'', N'''-tetraacetyl derivatives of butirosin A and B are given.