The antibacterial activity of a siderophore. 2. The influence of deferoxamine alone and combined with ascorbic acid on the activity of antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus.

The in vitro activity of deferoxamine (DFO) combined with cephalothin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, vancomycin, and fusidic acid, in the presence or absence of the reductant ascorbic acid (AA) was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus by a macrobroth dilution technique and killing curve kinetics. DFO and in particular DFO + AA lowered the MICs of cephalothin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, and fusidic acid for most of the strains and in some instances also the MICs of vancomycin. To characterize the interaction between DFO or DFO + AA and antimicrobials we applied the growth constants of logarithmic growth phase. Generally DFO acted synergistically with cephalothin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and fusidic acid, particularly in the presence of AA, and in some cases synergy was demonstrated with cefotaxime, too.