Kanosamine hydrochloride is an antibiotic which inhibits the growth of plant-pathogenic oomycetes, certain fungi and a few bacterial species. Kanosamine inhibits Phytophthora medicaginis M2913 and Aphanomyces euteiches WI-98 with MICs of 25 and 60 μg/mL, respectively.

Aphanomyces euteiches WI-98: 60 µg/mL , Phytophthora medicaginis M2913:(MIC)25 µg/mL

Kanosamine inhibits few bacterial species. Kanosamine is moderately inhibitory to certain fungi. All of the fungi and oomycetes inhibited by kanosamine are pathogens of plants. Maximum accumulation of kanosamine in B. cereus UW85 culture supernatants coincided with sporulation. Kanosamine accumulation is enhanced by the addition of ferric iron and suppressed by addition of phosphate to rich medium. Kanosamine accumulation is also enhanced more than 300% by the addition of alfalfa seedling exudate to minimal medium. The antibiotic kanosamine inhibits growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a range of human pathogenic fungi, including Candida albicans. The action of kanosamine on C. albicans cells results in profound morphological changes, inhibition of septum formation and cell agglutination.Kanosamine is highly inhibitory to growth of plant-pathogenic oomycetes. Among the strains tested, Phytophthora medicaginis M2913 is the most sensitive to kanosamine, whereas Pythium aphanidermatum Pa138 and Pythium torulosum A25a are less sensitive, and Aphanomyces euteiches WI-98 shows an intermediate level of sensitivity. The oomycetes are more sensitive to kanosamine at pH 7.0 than at pH 5.6.