 α-Avoparcin (R=H) β-Avoparcin (R=Cl) | |
| Identifiers | |
|---|---|
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3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChEMBL |
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| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.048.588 |
| E number | E715(antibiotics) |
| KEGG |
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| UNII |
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| Properties | |
| C89H102ClN9O36 (α) C89H101Cl2N9O36 (β) | |
| Molar mass | 1909.254 (α) 1943.699 (β) |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in theirstandard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
Avoparcin is aglycopeptide antibiotic effective againstGram-positive bacteria. It has been used in agriculture as an additive to livestock feed to promote growth in chickens, pigs, and cattle.[1] It is also used as an aid in the prevention ofnecrotic enteritis in poultry.[1]
Avoparcin is a mixture of two closely related chemical compounds, known as α-avoparcin and β-avoparcin, which differ by the presence of an additional chlorine atom in β-avoparcin. Avoparcin also shares a chemical similarity withvancomycin. Because of this similarity, concern exists that widespread use of avoparcin in animals may lead to an increased prevalence of vancomycin-resistant strains of bacteria.[2][3][4][5]
Avoparcin was once widely used inAustralia and theEuropean Union, but it is currently not permitted in either.[1][6]
Streptomyces candidus was found to produce avoparcin.[7]
Avoparcin is prohibited in the Euopean Union,[8] Australia, and the United States. It was first banned inDenmark in 1995 as a feed additive, for its contributions tovancomycin-resistantEnterococcus (VRE), and later banned in several other European countries.[9] It was never approved for use in the United States.[10]
