PURPOSE: A carcinostatic, having an antitumor activity, with low toxicity, administrable orally, and comprising prodigiosin as an active constituent.
CONSTITUTION: A carcinostatic comprising prodigiosin (P){chemical name: 4- methoxy-5-[( 5-methyl-4-pentyl-2H-pyrrol-2-ylidene )methyl]-2,2'-bi-1H-pyrrole; melting point 151W152°C} as an active constituent, administrable in a dosage form of a solution in a vegetable oil or a hydrophilic or water-miscible organic solvent, e.g. ethanol or propylene glycol, due to the insolubility of P in water. The prodigiosin is obtained by incubating Serratia marcescens stain (FERM-P No.3995) in a medium comprising sodium oleate as substantially only one carbon source, and by purifying a red pigment extracted from the bacterial cell.
NAKAMURA KATSUMI
TANABE KOUZOU
