MIC Index Research Articles

In vitro evaluation of the comprehensive antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Curtisia dentata (Burm.f) C.A. Sm: toxicological effect on the Human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines.

Curtisia dentata is used in African traditional medicine to treat variety of infections. C. dentata leaves were collected from Buffelskloof Nature Reserve, South Africa. The ethanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate and acetone extracts were evaluated for antimicrobial activity using micro dilution assay against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycoplasma hominis, Candida albicans and some clinical isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from HIV patient. Acetone extract exhibited lowest MIC of 0.01 mg/ml against Candida albicans compared to other extracts. Besides lupeol, betulinic acid and ursolic acid, β-sitosterol was isolated for the first time from C. dentata leaves and exhibited antimicrobial activity with MIC values ranging from 0.20 to 6.25 mg/ml. Furthermore, the ethanol extract and the four isolated compounds revealed microbicidal effect, with MIC index of less than 4. Ethanol extract revealed the best total activity of 2400 ml/g against Mycoplasma hominis. Cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was further investigated against the Human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines using the MTT assay. Ursolic acid exhibited the lowest LD50 of 122.4 µg/ml against HEK293 cell line while lupeol exhibited LD50 of 278.8 and 289.4 µg/ml against HEK293 and HepG2 respectively. Lupeol exhibited low selectivity index. Ethyl acetate and acetone extracts were further investigated for antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The acetone extract exhibited potent inhibition of DPPH compared to ethyl acetate extract. The findings of the current work validate the use of the plant species in the treatment of various human infections.

Synergistic effects between silver nanoparticles and antibiotics and the mechanisms involved

Silver nanoparticles (nano-Ags), which have well-known antimicrobial properties, are used extensively in various medical and general applications. In this study, the combination effects between nano-Ags and the conventional antibiotics ampicillin, chloramphenicol and kanamycin against various pathogenic bacteria were investigated. The MIC and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) were determined to confirm antibacterial susceptibility and synergistic effects. The results showed that nano-Ags possessed antibacterial effects and synergistic activities. The antibiofilm activities of nano-Ags alone or in combination with antibiotics were also investigated. Formation of biofilm is associated with resistance to antimicrobial agents and chronic bacterial infections. The results indicated that nano-Ags also had antibiofilm activities. To understand these effects of nano-Ags, an ATPase inhibitor assay, permeability assay and hydroxyl radical assay were conducted. The antibacterial activity of nano-Ags was influenced by ATP-associated metabolism rather than by the permeability of the outer membrane. Additionally, nano-Ags generated hydroxyl radicals, a highly reactive oxygen species induced by bactericidal agents. It was concluded that nano-Ags have potential as a combination therapeutic agent for the treatment of infectious diseases by bacteria.

In Vitro Interactions between Aspirin and Amphotericin B against Planktonic Cells and Biofilm Cells of Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis

The increase in drug resistance and invasion caused by biofilm formation brings enormous challenges to the management of Candida infection. Aspirin's antibiofilm activity in vitro was discovered recently. The spectrophotometric method and the XTT {2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide} reduction assay used for data generation make it possible to evaluate fungal biofilm growth accurately. The combined use of the most commonly used methods, the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) and a newly developed method, the ΔE model, which uses the concentration-effect relationship over the whole concentration range instead of using the MIC index alone, makes the interpretation of results more reliable. As an attractive tool for studying the pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial agents, time-kill curves can provide detailed information about antimicrobial efficacy as a function of both time and concentration. In the present study, in vitro interactions between aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid [ASA]) and amphotericin B (AMB) against planktonic cells and biofilm cells of Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis were evaluated by the checkerboard microdilution method and the time-kill test. Synergistic and indifferent effects were found for the combination of ASA and AMB against planktonic cells, while strong synergy was found against biofilm cells analyzed by FICI. The ΔE model gave more consistent results with FICI. The positive interactions in concentration were also confirmed by the time-kill test. Moreover, this approach also revealed the pharmacodynamics changes of ASA and synergistic action on time. Our findings suggest a potential clinical use for combination therapy with ASA and AMB to augment activity against biofilm-associated infections.

In Vivo Pharmacodynamic Characterization of a Novel Plectasin Antibiotic, NZ2114, in a Murine Infection Model

NZ2114 is a novel plectasin derivative with potent activity against gram-positive bacteria, including multiply drug-resistant strains. We used the neutropenic murine thigh infection model to characterize the time course of antimicrobial activity of NZ2114 and determine which pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index and magnitude best correlated with efficacy. Serum drug levels following administration of three fourfold-escalating single-dose levels of NZ2114 were measured by microbiologic assay. Single-dose time-kill studies following doses of 10, 40, and 160 mg/kg of body weight demonstrated concentration-dependent killing over the dose range (0.5 to 3.7 log(10) CFU/thigh) and prolonged postantibiotic effects (3 to 15 h) against both Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mice had 10(6.3) to 10(6.8) CFU/thigh of strains of S. pneumoniae or S. aureus at the start of therapy when treated for 24 h with 0.625 to 160 mg/kg/day of NZ2114 fractionated for 4-, 6-, 12-, and 24-h dosing regimens. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to determine which PK/PD index best correlated with microbiologic efficacy. Efficacies of NZ2114 were similar among the dosing intervals (P = 0.99 to 1.0), and regression with the 24-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC index was strong (R(2), 0.90) for both S. aureus and S. pneumoniae. The maximum concentration of drug in serum/MIC index regression was also strong for S. pneumoniae (R(2), 0.96). Studies to identify the PD target for NZ2114 utilized eight S. pneumoniae and six S. aureus isolates and an every-6-h regimen of drug (0.156 to 160 mg/kg/day). Treatment against S. pneumoniae required approximately twofold-less drug for efficacy in relationship to the MIC than did treatment against S. aureus. The free drug 24-h AUCs/MICs necessary to produce a stasis effect were 12.3 +/- 6.7 and 28.5 +/- 11.1 for S. pneumoniae and S. aureus, respectively. The 24-h AUC/MIC associated with a 1-log killing endpoint was only 1.6-fold greater than that needed for stasis. Resistance to other antimicrobial classes did not impact the magnitude of the PD target required for efficacy. The PD target in this model should be considered in the design of clinical trials with this novel antibiotic.