• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.241-247
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• 2015

In an effort to discover alternative phytotherapeutic antimicrobial agents to combat Streptococcus parauberis, a fish pathogenic bacterium, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of seaweed extracts in vitro. A methanolic extract of Ecklonia cava exhibited strong antibacterial activity against S. parauberis isolated from olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. Furthermore, the n-hexane soluble (Hexane) fraction of the E. cava methanolic extract exhibited the greatest antibacterial effect on S. parauberis strains with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 256 to $1,024{\mu}g/mL$. In addition, the MIC values of oxytetracycline against antibiotic-resistant S. parauberis were markedly reduced up to 64-fold in combination with the Hexane fraction, suggesting that the antibacterial activity of the antibiotic was restored when combined with the Hexane fraction. The interaction between both antibiotics and the Hexane fraction was assessed by the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index. The Hexane fraction and oxytetracycline combination against antibiotic-resistant S. parauberis strains resulted in a median ${\sum}FIC$ range of 0.502 to 0.516. Thus, the synergistic ranges of median ${\sum}FIC$ < 1 were observed for all combinations of the Hexane fraction and oxytetracycline against S. parauberis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report indicating the efficacy of an E. cava extract against fish pathogenic bacterium S. parauberis.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

In an effort to discover alternative antimicrobials against Listeria monocytogenes, several marine algae were screened. The methanolic extract of Ecklonia cava exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against L. monocytogenes, with the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction of E. cava methanolic extract having a MIC value of $256{\mu}g/mL$ and a MBC value of ${\mu}g/mL$. The MIC values of streptomycin in combination with the EtOAc fraction were markedly reduced up to 64-fold, suggesting that the antibacterial activity of the antibiotic was restored when combined with the EtOAc fraction. The interaction between streptomycin and the EtOAc fraction was assessed by fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices. The combination of streptomycin and the EtOAc fraction against L. monocytogenes resulted in ${\Sigma}FIC_{min}$ range of 0.141 to 0.266 and ${\Sigma}FIC_{max}$ of 0.531 for all strains. The median ${\Sigma}FIC$ against L. monocytogenes strains ranged from 0.172 to 0.344. Thus, synergistic ranges of FIC <1 were observed for all combinations of streptomycin and the EtOAc fraction against L. monocytogenes strains. Indeed, the median ${\Sigma}FIC$ of streptomycin-EtOAc fraction ranged from 0.172 to 0.344, suggesting a marked synergy.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.389-393
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• 2003

The essential oils from Cedrus atlantica, Styrax tonkinensis, Juniperus communis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melaleuca alternifolia, Pelargonium graveolens, Pogestemon patchouli and Rosmarinus officinalis were analyzed by GC-MS. Antifungal activities of the oils were investigated by disk diffusion assay and the broth dilution method against Aspergillus niger and A. flavus. The effects of geraniol and the essential oil fraction from P. graveolens on the antifungal activity of amphotericin Band ketoconazole were examined using a checkerboard microtiter assay against both Aspergillus fungi. Most of the tested essential oils, with the exception of C. atlantica, J. communis, and P. patchouli, significantly inhibited growth of A. niger and to a lesser extent that of A. fIavus, with MICs (minimal inhibitory concentrations) in the range 0.78-12.5 mg/mL. The essential oil fraction of P. graveolens and its main components, geraniol and citronellol, exhibited additive effects with amphotericin B and with ketoconazole against both Aspergillus species, resulting in fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices ranging from 0.52 to 1.00.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2010

Combination therapy of antibiotics is leading to improved efficacy or safety profiles with decrease emergence of bacterial resistance. Because of this benefit, many of antibacterial combinations have been used in veterinary practice for the past few decades. The purpose of this study was to examine the in vitro activity of an amoxicillin alone and in combination with other antibiotics against pathogenic bacteria of fish origin. Based on the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index (FIC $$\leq_-$$ 0.5), a synergistic interaction was shown in combination of florfenicol with amoxicillin or cefuroxime. The combination of florfenicol and amoxillin showed higher antibacterial activity than that of florfenicol and cefuroxime. Ratio of amoxicillin and florfenicol in combination was 1 : 1, which showed the antibacterial activity against bacterial isolates of fish as compared with other ratios. A synergetic effect of the combination (amoxicillin and florfenicol) was further confirmed in the time-kill curve study. The study showed a better in vitro antibacterial activity of a 1 : 1 combination of amoxicillin and florfenicol than the individual antibacterial against bacterial isolates of fish. In conclusion, the combination of florfenicol and amoxicillin may serve as a potential antibacterial therapy in fishes infected pathogenic bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.858-864
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• 2007

This study investigated the antibacterial activities of sophoraflavanone G from Sophora flavescens in combination with two antimicrobial agents against oral bacteria. The combined effect of sophoraflavanone G and the antimicrobial agents was evaluated using the checkerboard method to obtain a fractional inhibitory concentration(FIC) index. The sophoraflavanone G+ampicillin(AM) combination was found to have a synergistic effect against S. mutans, S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus, S. gordonii, A. actinomycetemcomitans, F nucleatum, P. intermedia, and P. gingivalis, whereas the sophoraflavanone G+gentamicin(GM) combination had a synergistic effect against S. sanguinis, S. criceti, S. anginosus, A. actinomycetemcomitans, F nucleatum, P. intermedia, and P. gingivalis. Neither combination exhibited any antagonistic interactions(FIC index>4). In particular, the MICs/MBCs for all the bacteria were reduced to one-half$\sim$one-sixteenth as a result of the drug combinations. A synergistic interaction was also confirmed by time-kill studies for nine bacteria where the checkerboard suggested synergy. Thus, a strong bactericidal effect was exerted through the drug combinations, plus in vitro data suggested that sophoraflavanone G combined with other antibiotics may be microbiologically beneficial rather than antagonistic.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.325-329
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• 2012

The present study investigated the antimicrobial properties of medicinal herbs including Scutellariae Radix (SR: dried root of Scutellariae bicalensis Georgi). Among hot-water extracts of medicinal herbs tested in this study, SR extract showed the most potent antimicrobial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.625 mg/mL. In particular, synergistic effects of antimicrobial activity were observed upon combined application of SR and chitooligosaccharide as indicated by MIC of 0.125 mg/mL and FIC (fractional inhibitory concentration) index of 0.45. Thermal stability analysis indicated that the components responsible for antimicrobial activity was stable for 8 months at $45^{\circ}C$. Antimicrobial activity was proven to be effective in foods as well as in cosmetics as comparable to that of the chemical preservatives.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1288-1294
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• 2021

There are a growing number of reports of hospital-acquired infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Many plant products are now being used as a natural means of exploring antimicrobial agents against different types of human pathogenic bacteria. In this research, we sought to isolate and identify an active molecule from Sedum takesimense that has possible antibacterial activity against various clinical isolates of MRSA. NMR analysis revealed that the structure of the HPLC-purified compound was 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-galloyl-glucose. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of different extract fractions against numerous pathogenic bacteria was determined, and the actively purified compound has potent antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria, i.e., MRSA and its clinical isolates. In addition, the combination of the active compound and β-lactam antibiotics (e.g., oxacillin) demonstrated synergistic action against MRSA, with a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of 0.281. The current research revealed an alternative approach to combating pathogenesis caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria using plant materials. Furthermore, using a combination approach in which the active plant-derived compound is combined with antibiotics has proved to be a successful way of destroying pathogens synergistically.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.160-164
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• 2005

The effects of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil (Lemongrass oil) and its main component, citral (84.30%), on antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant strains of Salmonella enteritidis and S. typhimurium were assessed. C. citratus oil and citral significantly inhibited all strains of the two Salmonella species examined, with minimum inhibiting concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.5 mg/ml to 8.0 mg/ml. The combined effects of C. citratus oil and citral (84.30%) were evaluated using a checkerboard microtiter assay. Essential oil fractions of C. citratus and citral exhibited strong synergistic or additive effects with streptomycin or kanamycin against S. typhimurium strains with fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices in the range of 0.28 to 1.00. In conclusion, a combination of streptomycin and lemongrass oil or its main component, citral, may be useful for reducing the minimum effective dose of antibiotic required for the treatment of resistant S. typhimurium infections.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 1996

Chemicals including antibiotics and bactericides were screened for suppression of streptomycin-resistant Erwinia cmutouom subsp. cmutovom (Ecc) strains in laboratory and field conditions. Oxytetracycline, ethoquinolac and dichlorophen suppressed the growth of streptomycin-resistant Ecc strains in vitro. Fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices of oxytetracycline and ethoquinolac mixed with streptomycin against the Ecc strains were equal to and less than one, respectively. Consequently the efficacy of those chemicals in mixture with sorptomycin were non-antagonistic But that of dichlorophen mixed with streptomycin was more than one, therefore the efficacy of the mixture was antagonistic. Spray of oxyteoucycline, ethoquinolac and agrimycin-100 on the topped burley tobacco plants was efficacious in reducing tobacco hollow stalk at the same level of sorptomycin treatment in three-year field trials, which suggests that those are promising chemicals to be alternative to streptomycin for control of tobacco hollow stalk.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.784-789
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• 2016

We evaluated the synergistic antibacterial effect in combination with the chitosan-ferulic acid conjugate (CFA) and β-lactam antibiotics, such as ampicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin, against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices. CFA clearly reversed the antibacterial activity of ampicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin against MRSA in the combination mode. Among these antibiotics, the combination of oxacillin-CFA resulted in a ΣFIC_min range of 0.250 and ΣFIC_max of 0.563, suggesting that the oxacillin-CFA combination resulted in an antibacterial synergy effect against MRSA. In addition, we determined that CFA inhibited the mRNA expression of gene mecA and the production of PBP2a, which is a key determinant for β-lactam antibiotic resistance, in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, the results obtained in this study supported the idea on the antibacterial action mechanism that oxacillin will restore the antibacterial activity against MRSA through the suppression of PBP2a production by CFA.