Echinosporin is a bacterial metabolite originally isolated from Streptomyces echinosporus that has antibacterial and anticancer activities.1,2,3 It is active against P. vulgaris, S. typhosa, S. sonnei, E. coli, and B. subtilis (MICs = 100, 100, 100, 200, and 400 µg/ml, respectively).1 Echinosporin induces cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and apoptosis in, as well as inhibits proliferation of, HCT-15 human colorectal cancer cells (IC50s = 1.7, 1.75, and 247 µM, respectively).2 It inhibits tumor growth in murine P388 leukemia and Meth 1 fibrosarcoma models when administered at doses ranging from 10 to 80 mg/kg.3
1.Sato, T., Kawamoto, I., Oka, T., et al.A new antibiotic echinosporin (XK-213) - producing organism, isolation and characterizationJ. Antibiot. (Tokyo)35(3)266-271(1982) 2.Cui, C.B., Liu, H.B., Gu, J.Y., et al.Echinosporins as new cell cycle inhibitors and apoptosis inducers from marine-derived Streptomyces albogriseolusFitoterapia78(3)238-240(2007) 3.Morimoto, M., and Imai, R.Antitumor activity of echinosporinJ. Antibiot. (Tokyo)38(4)490-495(1985)