Abstract
Antibacterial activity of berberine (Ber) and 8-acetonyl-dihydroberberine (A-Ber) alone and combined uses with antibacterial agents ampicillin (AMP), azithromycin (AZM), cefazolin (CFZ) and levofloxacin (LEV) was studied on 10 clinical isolates of SCCmec III type methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Susceptibility to each agent alone was tested using a broth microdilution method and the chequerboard and time-kill tests for the combined evaluations, respectively. The alone MICs/MBCs (μg/mL) ranges were 32–128/64–256 (Ber) and 32-128/128-512 (A-Ber). Significant synergies were observed for the Ber (A-Ber)/AZM and Ber (A-Ber)/LEV combinations against 90% of the tested MRSA strains, with fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) values ranged from 0.188 to 0.500. An additivity result was also observed for the Ber/AZM combination by time-kill curves. These results demonstrated for the first time that Ber and A-Ber enhanced the in vitro inhibitory efficacy of AZM and LEV to a same extent, which had potential for further investigation in combinatory therapeutic applications of patients infected with MRSA.
Highlights
The first clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was reported in when only a year after methicillin was introduced for clinical use [1]
We have been working on searching for anti-MRSA compounds from the Chinese herbal medicines [6,7,8] and the interactions of the compounds with conventional antibacterial agents [9,10]
The present report deals with the comparison of anti-MRSA activity between berberine (Ber) and its synthetic derivative 8-acetonyl-dihydroberberine (A-Ber) (Figure 1)
Summary
The first clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was reported in when only a year after methicillin was introduced for clinical use [1]. (Berberidaceae) and other spp. in several different families, such as Coptis chinensis Franch (Ranunculaceae) and Phellodendron amurense Ruprecht (Rutaceae). It is a classic plant antimicrobial which has been used in the treatment of gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and cholera diseases [11]. The present report deals with the comparison of anti-MRSA activity between berberine (Ber) and its synthetic derivative 8-acetonyl-dihydroberberine (A-Ber) (Figure 1). Their synergistic effects on four conventional antibacterial agents ampicillin (AMP), azithromycin (AZM), cefazolin (CFZ) and levofloxacin (LEV) are involved
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