Monensine

Since 1950 a number of polyether antibiotics have been discovered using fermentation technol ogy They are characterized by the presence of sev eral cyclic ether structural units as illustrated for the case of monensm in Figure 16 3a Monensin and other naturally occurring polyethers are similar to crown ethers in their ability to form stable complexes... 

FIGURE 16 3 (a) The structure of monensin (b) The structure of the sodium salt of monensin showing coordination of Na yellow) to the six oxygens shown in red in the structural formula Flydrogen atoms have been omitted from the model for clarity... 

Marecek and colleagues developed a new electrochemical method for the rapid quantitative analysis of the antibiotic monensin in the fermentation vats used during its production. The standard method for the analysis, which is based on a test for microbiological activity, is both difficult and time-consuming. As part of the study, samples taken at different times from a fermentation production vat were analyzed for the concentration of monensin using both the electrochemical and microbiological procedures. The results, in parts per thousand (ppt), are reported in the following table. 

This is an example of a paired data set since the acquisition of samples over an extended period introduces a substantial time-dependent change in the concentration of monensin. The comparison of the two methods must be done with the paired f-test, using the following null and two-tailed alternative hypotheses... 

This experiment describes the preparation and evaluation of two liquid-membrane Na+ ion-selective electrodes, using either the sodium salt of monensin or a hemisodium ionophore as ion exchangers incorporated into a PVG matrix. Electrodes prepared using monensin performed poorly, but those prepared using hemisodium showed a linear response over a range of 0.1 M to 3 X 10 M Na+ with slopes close to the theoretical value. 

Monel alloy Monel alloy 400 Monel alloy K-500 Monell Center Monellin [9062-83-3] Monensin... 

Fig. 4. Synthesis of monensin from homochiial natural products TBS = tert-butyldimethylsilyl chloride.

Coccidiosis is a proto2oal disease of the intestinal tract of animals that leads to severe loss of productivity and death. The development and widespread use of anticoccidials has revolutionized the poultry industry. The estimated world market for anticoccidial agents in 1989 was 425 million and this was dominated by the polyether ionophore antibiotics monensin, salinomycin [53003-10-4], n imsm [55134-13-9], la.s9locid, and maduramicin [84878-61-5] (26). 

Individual polyethers exhibit varying specificities for cations. Some polyethers have found appHcation as components in ion-selective electrodes for use in clinical medicine or in laboratory studies involving transport studies or measurement of transmembrane electrical potential (4). The methyl ester of monensin [28636-21 -7] i2ls been incorporated into a membrane sHde assembly used for the assay of semm sodium (see Biosensors) (5). Studies directed toward the design of a lithium selective electrode resulted in the synthesis of a derivative of monensin lactone that is highly specific for lithium (6). 

Polyethers such as monensin, lasalocid, salinomycin, and narasin are sold in many countries in crystalline or highly purified forms for incorporation into feeds or sustained-release bolus devices (see Controlled-RELEASE technology). There are also mycelial or biomass products, especially in the United States. The mycelial products are generally prepared by separation of the mycelium and then drying by azeotropic evaporation, fluid-bed driers, continuous tray driers, flash driers, and other types of commercial driers (163). In countries allowing biomass products, crystalline polyethers may be added to increase the potency of the product. 

The mechanism of inhibition has not been characterized, but it is probably related to the ionophoretic properties of these antibiotics. Monensin has been shown to inhibit the intracellular transport of viral membrane proteins of cells infected with Semliki Forest vims (169). The formation of syncytia, normally observed when T-lymphoblastoid cell line (CEM) cells are cocultivated with human immunodeficiency vims (HlV-l)-infected T-ceU leukemia cell line (MOLT-3) cells, was significantly inhibited in the presence of monensin (170). This observation suggests that the viral glycoproteins in the treated cells were not transported to the cell surface from the Golgi membrane. 

Anticoccidial Activity. The 1968 report that claimed monensin has activity against Eimeria sp., particularly E. tenella E. macdma., and E. acervulina greatly altered the prevention and control of coccidiosis in poultry (172). It is estimated that the polyether ionophores presently constitute more than 80% of the total worldwide usage of anticoccidials (173). Lasalocid and monensin have been approved for use in control of coccidiosis in cattle. 

Because feed comprises over 80% of the cost of producing and fattening cattle, the maximum utilization of ever increasingly expensive rations is of upmost importance (179). Monensin under the trade name of Rumen sin (Elanco Products) was introduced in 1976 at a recommended level of 30 ppm in cattle feed. Lasalocid having the trade name Bovatec (Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc.) was marketed some years later. 

Because of the complexity of the polyether antibiotics tittle progress has been made in stmcture determination by the chemical degradation route. X-ray methods were the techniques most successfully applied for the early stmcture elucidations. Monensin, X206, lasalocid, lysocellin, and salinomycin were included in nineteen distinct polyether x-ray analyses reported in 1983 (190). Use of mass spectrometry (191), and H (192) and nmr (141) are also reviewed. More recently, innovative developments in these latter techniques have resulted in increased applications for stmcture determinations. Eor example, heteronuclear multiple bond connectivity (hmbc) and homonuclear Hartmann-Hahn spectroscopy were used to solve the stmcture of portimicin (14) (193). East atom bombardment mass spectrometry was used in solving the stmctures of maduramicin alpha and co-factors (58). 

The worldwide usage of polyether antibiotics for controlling coccidiosis is approximately 190 million compared to a total market of 210—220 million. Monensin and salinomycin represent about 65—70% of this market lasalocid, narasin, and maduramicin make up the remainder. Other compounds for coccidiosis control include nicarbazine, halofiinginone, amprolium, and robenidine. Worldwide usage is in excess of 3 million kg of product. 

The total world market for the use of ionophores for feed efficiency improvement in mminants is approximately 80— 90 million. The United States is the largest market. Lasalocid and monensin are the only members of this class cleared for use. Outside the United States, salinomycin is used in limited quantities. Worldwide usage is about 1.5 million kg. 

Table 3 Hsts the polyether antibiotics used as poultry anticoccidial dmgs in the United States. Recendy, lasalocid and monensin have been approved for use in bovine coccidiosis at levels in feed of 11—33 g/t.

Of interest is the manner in which cavities of the appropriate size are introduced into ion-selective membranes. These membranes typically consist of highly plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (see Membrane technology). Plasticizers (qv) are organic solvents such as phthalates, sebacates, trimelLitates, and organic phosphates of various kinds, and cavities may simply be the excluded volumes maintained by these solvent molecules themselves. More often, however, neutral carrier molecules (20) are added to the membrane. These molecules are shaped like donuts and have holes that have the same sizes as the ions of interest, eg, valinomycin [2001-95-8] C H QN O g, and nonactin [6833-84-7] have wrap around stmctures like methyl monensin... 

Some of these compounds could be considered as dietary additives, but various other terms, including pesticides, can also be used. They can have beneficial effects on the environment and this aspect will be discussed later. The ionophore monensin, which is an alicyclic polyether (Figure 1), is a secondary metabolite of Streptomyces and aids the prevention of coccidiosis in poultry. Monensin is used as a growth promoter in cattle and also to decrease methane production, but it is toxic to equine animals. " Its ability to act as an ionophore is dependent on its cyclic chelating effect on metal ions. ° The hormones bovine somatotropin (BST) and porcine somatotropin (PST), both of which are polypeptides, occur naturally in lactating cattle and pigs, respectively, but can also be produced synthetically using recombinant DNA methods and administered to such animals in order to increase milk yields and lean meat production. "... 

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