What is natamycin
Natamycin is a natural antifungal agent produced by fermentation of Streptomyces and is widely used in food, medicine and agriculture. In recent years, with the increasing demand for food safety and preservatives, natamycin has become a hot topic due to its high efficiency and low toxicity. This article will introduce in detail the definition, uses, safety and recent hot topics of natamycin.
1. Definition and characteristics of natamycin

Natamycin is a polyene macrolide antibiotic that exerts antifungal effects mainly by inhibiting ergosterol synthesis in fungal cell membranes. It is characterized by high efficiency, broad spectrum and extremely low toxicity to human body, so it is widely used as food preservative and pharmaceutical antifungal agent.
| Features | Description |
|---|---|
| chemical name | Natamycin |
| Molecular formula | C33H47NO13 |
| Source | Streptomyces fermentation products |
| Mechanism of action | Inhibit fungal cell membrane ergosterol synthesis |
| Application areas | Food preservative, pharmaceutical antifungal, agriculture |
2. Uses of Natamycin
Natamycin has important application value in many fields. The following are its main uses:
| field | Specific applications |
|---|---|
| food industry | Preservation of cheese, meat products and baked goods |
| Pharmaceutical industry | Treatment of fungal infections of the eyes, skin and mucous membranes |
| Agriculture | Control of crop fungal diseases |
3. Safety of Natamycin
Natamycin is classified as a safe food additive by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) because of its low toxicity. Here are its safety data:
| indicator | data |
|---|---|
| ADI value (allowable daily intake) | 0.3 mg/kg body weight |
| LD50 (median lethal dose) | >5000 mg/kg (rat, oral) |
| Main metabolic pathways | Excreted through feces and barely absorbed |
4. Recent hot topics
In the past 10 days, Natamycin has attracted widespread attention due to the following hot events:
1.food safety controversy: A certain brand of cheese was complained by consumers for not labeling the ingredient natamycin, triggering a discussion on the transparency of food additives.
2.Breakthroughs in medical applications: Research shows that natamycin has potential efficacy against drug-resistant fungal infections, and relevant clinical trials are ongoing.
3.Agricultural environmental protection trends: The use of natamycin in organic farming has increased significantly as a low-toxic pesticide alternative.
5. Summary
Natamycin, as a natural antifungal agent, plays an important role in the fields of food, medicine and agriculture. Its high efficiency and low toxicity make it a hot topic in current research and application. In the future, with the advancement of technology and improvement of supervision, the application prospects of natamycin will be broader.
Through the structured data display of this article, readers can clearly understand the definition, use, safety and recent hot spots of natamycin, providing reference for research and application in related fields.
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