Educational Content: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Definition of Enediyne
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Enediyne: A very potent and naturally occurring antibiotic that acts by cleaving DNA. The adverse effects of enediynes on cells include mutagenicity (increase mutation), halting mitois (cell division) by arresting the cell cycle, and inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death). Enediynes were first isolated in the 1960s by the fermentation of microbes.