Synergistic antimicrobial activity of combinations of sanguinarine and EDTA with vancomycin against multidrug resistant bacteria.

A combination of antimicrobial drugs has a potential to overcome multidrug resistant pathogens. In our study we tested the combination of an antimicrobial DNA-intercalating alkaloid (sanguinarine), a chelator (EDTA) with a standard antibiotic (vancomycin), i.e.

Synergistic antibacterial activity of the combination of the alkaloid sanguinarine with EDTA and the antibiotic streptomycin against multidrug resistant bacteria.

Objectives: Drug combinations consisting of the DNA intercalating benzophenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine, the chelator EDTA with the antibiotic streptomycin were tested against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multi-resistant clinical isolates.

Methods: Microdilution, checkerboard and time kill curve methods were used to investigate the antibacterial activity of the individual drugs and the potential synergistic activity of combinations.

Key Findings: Sanguinarine demonstrated a strong activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (minimum inhibitory concentrations, MIC = 0.

Volatile oils from the aerial parts of Eremophila maculata and their antimicrobial activity.

The essential oils isolated from the fresh flowers, fresh leaves, and both fresh and air-dried stems of Eremophila maculata (Scrophulariaceae) were characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. Sabinene was the major component in most of the oils, followed by limonene, α-pinene, benzaldehyde, (Z)-β-ocimene, and spathulenol. The leaf and flower essential oils showed antibacterial and antifungal activity against five Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacterial strains, multi-resistant clinical isolates from patients, i.

Anti-infective and cytotoxic properties of Bupleurum marginatum.

Background: Bupleurum marginatum Wall. ex DC (Apiaceae) is a perennial herb widely used in traditional Chinese and Kampo medicine for the treatment of various infectious diseases. The biological activities of B.

Synergistic interactions in two-drug and three-drug combinations (thymol, EDTA and vancomycin) against multi drug resistant bacteria including E. coli.

Combinations of two or more drugs, which affect different targets, have frequently been used as a new approach against resistant bacteria. In our work we studied the antimicrobial activity (MIC, MBC) of individual drugs (the phenolic monoterpene thymol, EDTA and vancomycin), of two-drug interactions between thymol and EDTA in comparison with three-drug interactions with vancomycin against sensitive and resistant bacteria. Thymol demonstrated moderate bactericidal activity (MBC between 60 and 4000μg/ml) while EDTA only exhibited bacteriostatic activity over a range of 60-4000μg/ml.

Molecular cloning and expression of ranalexin, a bioactive antimicrobial peptide from Rana catesbeiana in Escherichia coli and assessments of its biological activities.

The coding sequence, which corresponds to the mature antimicrobial peptide ranalexin from the frog Rana catesbeiana, was chemically synthesized with preferred codons for expression in Escherichia coli. It was cloned into the vector pET32c (+) to express a thioredoxin-ranalexin fusion protein which was produced in soluble form in E. coli BL21 (DE3) induced under optimized conditions.

Antimicrobial activity of a traditionally used complex essential oil distillate (Olbas(®) Tropfen) in comparison to its individual essential oil ingredients.

Plant extracts and essential oils have been widely studied and used as antimicrobial agents in the last decades. In our study we investigated the antimicrobial activities of Olbas(®) Tropfen (in the following named Olbas), a traditionally used complex essential oil distillate, in comparison to its individual essential oil ingredients. Olbas (10 g) consists of three major components such as peppermint oil (5.

Flavonoids in Scutellaria immaculata and S. ramosissima (Lamiaceae) and their biological activity.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria immaculata and S. ramosissima (Lamiaceae) and the in-vitro biological activity of their extracts and flavonoids.

Methods: The flavonoid composition of S.

Carlina oxide--a natural polyacetylene from Carlina acaulis (Asteraceae) with potent antitrypanosomal and antimicrobial properties.

Carlina acaulis (Asteraceae) has a long history of medicinal use in Europe due to its antimicrobial properties. The strong activity of Carlina oxide, themain compound of the essential oil of C. acaulis against two MRSA strains, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and C.