Abstract
Secondary metabolites of different species of lichen were tested for their activities against a variety of microbial species. While gram-negative rods and fungi were not inhibited by these compounds, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and some anaerobic species (Bacteroides and Clostridium species) were susceptible at the concentrations tested. Vulpinic acid generally was less active than usnic acid, regardless of its stereochemistry. The susceptibility to usnic acid was not impaired in clinical isolates of S. aureus resistant to methicillin and/or mupirocin.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (200.4 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Courvalin P. Resistance of enterococci to glycopeptides. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1990 Dec;34(12):2291–2296. doi: 10.1128/aac.34.12.2291. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ghione M., Parrello D., Grasso L. Usnic acid revisited, its activity on oral flora. Chemioterapia. 1988 Oct;7(5):302–305. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Johnson A. P., Uttley A. H., Woodford N., George R. C. Resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin: an emerging clinical problem. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1990 Jul;3(3):280–291. doi: 10.1128/cmr.3.3.280. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KLOSA J. Antibiotika aus Flechten und ihre therapeutische Verwendungs'-möglichkeit. Med Monatsschr. 1950 Nov;4(11):816–816. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KLOSA J. Chemische Konstitution und antibiotische Wirkung der Flechtenstoffe. Pharmazie. 1953 May;8(5):435–442. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KLOSA J. Uber die antibiotische Wirkung der Flechtenstoffe. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1951;287(3-6):195–204. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kaatz G. W., Seo S. M., Dorman N. J., Lerner S. A. Emergence of teicoplanin resistance during therapy of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis. J Infect Dis. 1990 Jul;162(1):103–108. doi: 10.1093/infdis/162.1.103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MOSE J. R. Zur antibakteriellen Wirksamkeit der Usninsäure. Arzneimittelforschung. 1955 Sep;5(9):510–513. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maple P. A., Hamilton-Miller J. M., Brumfitt W. World-wide antibiotic resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Lancet. 1989 Mar 11;1(8637):537–540. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(89)90076-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- STOLL A., BRACK A., RENZ J. Die Wirkung von Flechtenstoffen auf Tuberkelbakterien und auf einige andere Mikroorganismen; 7. Mitteilung über antibakterielle Stoffe. Schweiz Z Pathol Bakteriol. 1950;13(6):729–751. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]