Abstract: Antibiotic polyketide compounds are provided having the formula wherein: R1 and R2 are the same or different and are independently H or R; R is a structural fragment having a saturated or unsaturated linear, branched, or cyclic, skeleton containing one to ten carbon atoms in which the carbon atoms may be optionally substituted with a substituent selected from the group consisting of: —OH; ?O; —OR5; —O2CR5, —SH; —SR5; —SOCR5; —NH2; —NH5; —NH(R5)2; —NHCOR5; NRCOR5; —I; —Br; —Cl; —F; —CN; —CO2H; —CO2R5; —CH0; —COR5; —CONH2; —CONHR5; —CON(R5)2; —COSH; —COSR5; —N02; —S03H; —SOR5; and —SO2R5, wherein R5 is a linear, branched or cyclic, one to ten carbon saturated or unsaturated alkyl group; R3 and R4 are different and are independently selected from the groups consisting of OH, wherein Z1 and Z are linear or branched saturated or unsaturated, one to en carbon fragments optionally substituted with Y; Ar is a monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic, fully or partially aromatic system containing five or six membe