AN ANTIVIRAL SUBSTANCE FROM PENICILLIUM FUNICULOSUM

Abstract

Helenine is moderately stable in solution at refrigerator temperature and can be kept for long periods of time without evident loss of activity if stored frozen at the temperature of solid CO₂. It is filterable through a Seitz pad but not dialyzable. Crude SPS preparations of helenine do not lose activity when dried from the frozen state. Some conditions are described, however, which influence the preservation or inactivation of acetone-precipitated helenine when freeze-dried. Helenine is partially inactivated by exposure for 3 minutes to the temperature of a boiling water bath and is completely inactivated by autoclaving at 15 pounds' pressure for 15 minutes.