Chondrodendron platyphyllum alkaloids as a weapon in the combat of antibiotic resistance
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1
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Fiocruz Ceará, Eusébio, Ceará, Brazil
2
Regional University of Cariri, Brazil
Publication date: 2023-04-26
Popul. Med. 2023;5(Supplement):A114
ABSTRACT
Background and Objective:
Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health problem, contributing to approximately 700,000 deaths yearly worldwide. Due to the rapid spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR), the arsenal of effective antibiotics has decreased, demanding the urgent development of new drugs. Evidence has indicated that Chondrodendron platyphyllum (Menispermaceae) is a source of compounds with antimicrobial properties. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of its alkaloids on antibiotic resistance in vitro.
Methods:
A Total Alkaloid Fraction (TAF) and the primary constituent curine were obtained from the root bark of C. platyphyllum (SisGen registry A84A87E). The antibacterial and antibiotic-enhancing activity of TAF and curine was evaluated by determining their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) individually or in combination with antibiotics against standard and MDR strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli.
Results:
The TAF presented clinically effective MICs against S. aureus 25923 (645 µg/mL), P. aeruginosa 9027 (645 µg/mL), and E. coli 25922 (256 µg/mL) but failed to effectively inhibit the growth of the MDR strains S. aureus 10, P. aeruginosa 24, and E. coli 06 (MIC ≥ 1,024 µg/mL). On the other hand, curine showed promising antibacterial effects against S. aureus 25923 (512 µg/mL), E. coli 25922 (512 µg/mL), and E. coli 06 (813 µg/mL). Regarding the effects on antibiotic resistance, TAF potentiated (p < 0,05) the activity of gentamicin and norfloxacin against MDR strains of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli. On the other hand, curine potentiated the activity of gentamicin against the gram-negative MDR strains and presented synergism when associated with norfloxacin against S. aureus 10 and P. aeruginosa 24.
Conclusion:
C. platyphyllum and curine have antibacterial and antibiotic-enhancing activities against the standard and MDR bacterial strains and, as such, have the potential to be used in the combat of antibiotic resistance.