title: Antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: The antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a catechin, against 53 clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was evaluated and expressed as minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The MIC50 and MIC90 of the strains were found be 64 and 126 micrograms/ml, respectively by the microdilution method. A time-kill study using an isolate showed that EGCg appeared to be bacteriostatic at 1-2 x MIC and bactericidal at 6 x MIC against MRSA. In addition, the activity of EGCg was stable to various physical conditions including boiling or freezing. These findings suggest that EGCg could be a useful agent for treating MRSA infection.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Fukuoka University, School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tatara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate