Production, Purification and Characterization of ‘Iturin A-2’ a Lipopeptide with Antitumor Activity from Chinese Sauerkraut Bacterium Bacillus velezensis T701

This study was done to purify and characterize antitumor lipopeptide from Bacillus strains. Bacillus velezensis strain T701, which was isolated from Chinese sauerkraut, was screened out for its antitumor activity of lipopeptide in high level against breast cancer cells BT474. The lipopeptide with the highest antitumor activity from T701 was separated using preparative HPLC system with a C18 column, and prepared into pure powder (≥ 99.5%) by lyophilization. The lipopeptide was assumed to be n-C14 iturin A-2 by characterization with HRMS, ESI–MS/MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT 135° and HSQC-DEPT. Using NB medium, strain T701 could produce iturin A-2 at the level of 110 mg l−1. The cytotoxic activities of iturin A-2 against cervical cancer cells HeLa, breast cancer cells MCF-7 and BT474 were reported for the first time, which were dose-dependent, with IC50 of 77.50, 66.81 and 95.04 μg ml−1, respectively. Bacillus velezensis strain T701 could produce iturin A-2 at high level. Iturin A-2 presented good cytotoxic activities of against cervical cancer cells HeLa, breast cancer cells MCF-7 and BT474. Bacillus velezensis strain T701 could be useful to produce iturin A-2 which has the potential to be developed as an antitumor agent.