Rifampicin Synthesis Technology

Abstract

Rifampicin was named in 1957 by P.Sensei and his coworkers at Lepetit Laboratories upon confirmation of the materials produced from the strains of streptomyces mediterranei (now renamed nocardia mediterranei) separated by them. It exhibited an antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria, in particular against tuberculous disease germs called mycobacterium tuberculosis. All-out studies were started thereafter. At that time, members of the same family, including rifamycin A, B, C, 0, E, F and Y, were produced in the culture liquid of wild strains, but an accumulation of quantities of rifamycin B was realized in the fermentation liquid by this technology as a result of the changes in its strains, culture media and method of culture. After preparing rifamycin 0 and S therefrom, 3-formyl rifamycin SV was synthesized.