A TOXIN-INACTIVATING SUBSTANCE (NOXIVERSIN) FROM PENICILLIUM CYANEO-FULVUM (BIOURGE)

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Abstract
A wide range of bacterial toxins are inactivated by a substance extracted from cultures of a strain of Penicillium cyaneo-fulvum (Biourge) and named here "Noxiversin". This activity is distinct and separate from an antibiotic produced by the same mold and may be concentrated by fractional precipitation. The albumen fraction of culture filtrates includes all the toxin-neutralizing activity and removal of toxic impurities by precipitation with copper sulphate finally yields a dry stable preparation which is some 10 times more potent than the crude albumen concentrate.The neutralizing activity has been shown against staphylococcus alpha and beta toxins; streptolysins "S" and "O"; the haemolysins of Clostridium perfringens (lecithinase C), C. septicum, C. histolylicum, and C. letani; tetanus neurotoxin, pertussis toxin, and diphtheria toxin.Noxiversin exerts its effect quickly and directly on the toxin molecule, destroying toxicity but leaving antigenicity unimpaired. It is thus an effective toxoiding agent. Noxiversin is thermolabile, its activity being destroyed at 60 °C in 30 minutes. Preliminary characterization by chemical analysis, Tiselius electrophoresis, and ultracentrifugation methods indicates the presence of two major components in the semipurified product: a homogenous carbohydrate fraction and a heterogeneous protein fraction. Toxin-neutralizing activity resides in the protein fraction.

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