Neuroprotectins A and B, bicyclohexapeptides protecting chick telencephalic neuronal cells from excitotoxicity. I. Fermentation, isolation, physico-chemical properties and biological activity.

Glutamate, an excitatory amino acid, is known to induce neurotoxicity in central nervous system under abnormal conditions such as ischemia, hypoglycemia, epilepsy, Huntington's chorea, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. In our search for neuroprotective agents of microbial origin against excitatory neurotoxins, we have isolated two new bicyclohexapeptides, neuroprotectins A and B, together with a known compound complestatin, from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces sp. Q27107. Neuroprotectins protected primary cultured chick telencephalic neurons from glutamate- and kainate-induced excitotoxicities in a dose-dependant fashion.