Magnamycin

carbomycin, C₄₂H₆₇NO₁₆, an antibiotic of the macrolide group.

Magnamycin, which is produced by the actininomycete Streptomyces halstedii, was first isolated from the culture fluid of the fungus in 1952. Its structure was determined by the American chemists R. Woodward and W. Selmer between 1953 and 1966. Magnamycin is prescribed within limits in treating diseases of the respiratory system and urogenital tract, and it is part of the required diet for fattening domestic fowl. It is only mildly toxic for man but may depress the appetite and induce nausea. The antibiotic activity of magnamycin is related to its suppression of protein biosynthesis.