Four glycosides, designated A, B, C and D, are the main components of the anthracyclinc complex produced by cultures of Micromonospora sp. nov. They were extracted by solvent partition, separated by column chromatography and characterized by chemical and physical met-lods as I 1-deoxy analogues of daunorubicin. Among these new anthracyclines, displaying antibacterial and cytotoxic activity in vitro, l I-deoxydaunorubicin and 11-deoxydoxorubicin are also active against P388 leukemia in mice.

Bei der Methylierung der Daunorubicine (Ia) und (Ib) erfolgt Methylierung im Aglykon und im Aminozuckerteil.