Homoactic acid

During screening studies for antibiotics with pesticidal action, Ando et al. (1971a 1971b) isolated a new antibiotic, tetranactin, from the filter cake of Streptomyces aureus Waksman et Henrici, along with two other structurally related substances. All three compounds belong to the class of macrotetrolide antibiotics. Tetranactin consists of four units of homoactic acid (44) linked to form a cyclic polyester. Its structure determined by NMR and mass spectrometry proved to be... 

In experiments to verify the structure of tetranactin, alkaline hydrolysis yielded the building element homoactic acid (44), while reduction with lithium aluminium hydride gave the diol (46). 

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