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‘Viractin’ : a Prophylactic Agent against Upper Respiratory Infections

Abstract

‘VIRACTIN’ is the name we are proposing for the active principle in the mycelium of Streptomyces griseus cultures which produce actidione1,2, and which we have found to prevent selectively upper respiratory infections in man. The activity of viractin was first noted in 1946 while one of us (B. E. L.) was isolating, crystallizing, and characterizing actidione. It was observed then that the people working with the actidione process were not susceptible to upper respiratory infections.

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References

  1. Leach, B. E., Ford, J. H., and Whiffen, A. J., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 69, 474 (1947).

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  2. Ford, J. H., and Leach, B. E., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 70, 1223 (1948).

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  3. Davies, W. L., Grunert, R. R., Haff, R. F., McGahen, J. W., Neumayer, E. M., Paulshock, M., Watts, J. C., Wood, T. R., Hermann, E. C., and Hoffman, C. E., Science, 144, 862 (1964).

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LEACH, B., HACKMAN, P. & BYERS, L. ‘Viractin’ : a Prophylactic Agent against Upper Respiratory Infections. Nature 204, 788–789 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/204788a0

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