Abstract
A WEAKLY antibacterial metabolic product of the moulds Penicillium frequentans Westling and P. vesiculosum Bainier has recently been described1 and named frequentic acid. It was said to be yellow in colour and to give a deep green colour with ferric chloride; in these properties it is similar to citromycetin2, C14H10O7.2H2O (m.p. 285° C., dec.), a well-known metabolic product of P. frequentans. Though apparently differing in other published physical and chemical properties, for example, empirical formula (C5H5O3)n), melting point (155° C.), and stability towards hydrolytic reagents, it seemed possible to us that frequentic acid and citromycetin were identical. Further investigation has confirmed that this is so.
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References
Florey, H. W., et al., “Antibiotics” (Oxford, 1949).
Hetherington, A. C., and Raistrick, H., Phil. Trans., B, 220, 209 (1931).
Raper, K. B., and Thom, C., “A Manual of the Penicillia” (London, 1949).
Curtis, P. J., Hemming, H. G., and Smith, W. K., Nature, 167, 557 (1951).
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GROVE, J., BRIAN, P. Identity of Frequentic Acid and Citromycetin. Nature 167, 995 (1951). https://doi.org/10.1038/167995a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/167995a0
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