Figure 2.

Keigairengyoto demonstrated antibacterial activity against superficial skin Staphylococcus aureus infection comparable to antibiotic drugs. After tape stripping the back skin of mice, S. aureus was inoculated at 1 × 10⁷ CFU. Keigairengyoto (KRT, 2 g/kg), antibiotic (amoxicillin 100 mg/kg and clavulanic acid 50 mg/kg), or water (vehicle) was administered orally to mice 1 h before and one, two, and three days after inoculation (preventive administration regimen), or one, two, and three days after inoculation (therapeutic administration). Back skin was excised on day 4 for measurement of living bacteria (A: preventive protocol groups, B: therapeutic protocol groups). Macroscopic damage scores at infection sites were evaluated on day 2 and 4 (C: preventive, D: therapeutic). Each value represents the mean ± SEM. n = 6 vehicle control, KRT, and antibiotic group mice. **: p < 0.01; *: p < 0.05 (Steel-Dwass test).