A variety of organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and plants, produce secondary metabolites, also known as natural products. By the early 1900s, approximately 80 % of all medicines were obtained from plant sources (Sneader, 1997; Siddiqui et al., 2014), but the discovery of penicillin from Penicillium notatum by Alexander Fleming in 1928 lead to a significant shift from plants to bacteria as a source of natural products (Fleming, 1944). Since then, bacteria-derived compounds have been studied extensively and play a dominant role in the field of antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.
The research of secondary metabolites from bacteria requires their isolation and separation from an extract to obtain a fraction of a pure natural product for further analysis. Liquid chromatography is the main method used for the separation step and several publications are available including valuable and detailed method data. Below are some examples of highly interesting publications using BUCHI flash chromatography equipment for the purification of secondary metabolites derived from bacteria.
Soil Bacteria Isolated From Tunisian Arid Areas Show Promising Antimicrobial Activities Against Gram-Negatives
Zina Nasfi,1,2,3 Henrik Busch,4 Stefan Kehraus,4 Luis Linares-Otoya,2 Gabriele M. König,4 Till F. Schäberle,2,5,* and Rafik Bachoual1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6242944/
Furanones and Anthranilic Acid Derivatives from the Endophytic Fungus Dendrothyrium variisporum.
Biological effects of paenilamicin, a secondary metabolite antibiotic produced by the honey bee pathogenic bacterium Paenibacillus larvae.
Do you have a specific question regarding the purification of secondary metabolites? We have specialists who will quickly and efficiently provide you with competent application support or a feasibility study specifically tailored to your needs. Get in contact with our team via application@buchi.com or participate in our advanced chromatography trainings and bring your sample, that we can find the right solution for your specific separation problem. Register for training | 
