Improved production of spiramycin by mutant Streptomyces ambofaciens

Strain improvement and medium optimization to increase the productivity of spiramycin were carried out. Of oil tolerant mutant strains screened, one mutant, Streptomyces ambofaciens XC 2-37, produced 9% more spiramycin than the parent strain S. ambofaciens XC 1-29. The effects of soybean oil and propyl alcohol on spiramycin production with S. ambofaciens XC 2-37 were studied. The potency of S. ambofaciens XC 2-37 was improved by 61.8% with addition of 2% soybean oil in the fermentation medium and 0.4% propyl alcohol at 24 hours after incubation. The suitable time for feeding propyl alcohol is at 24 hours after incubation in flask fermentation and at 20 hours after incubation in fermentor fermentation. The new process with S. ambofaciens XC 2-37 was scaled up for industrial scale production of spiramycin in a 60 m(3) fermentor in Xinchang Pharmaceutical Factory, Zhejiang Medicine Company, Ltd., China, and the potency and productivity of fermentation were improved by 42.9%.