Mode of antibacterial action of retrochalcones from Glycyrrhiza inflata.
Licochalcone A-D and echinatin, retrochalcones isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza inflata, showed antimicrobial activity. Among them, licochalcone A and C had potent activity against some Gram-positive bacteria. These retrochalcones inhibited oxygen consumption in susceptible bacterial cells. The oxidation of NADH in bacterial membrane preparations was also inhibited by them. NADH-cytochrome c reductase was inhibited by licochalcones, while cytochrome c oxidase was not. NADH-CoQ reductase and NADH-FMN oxidoreductase were not inhibited. The site of respiratory inhibition of licochalcones was thought to be between CoQ and cytochrome c in the bacterial respiratory electron transport chain.
Haraguchi
H
H
Faculty of Engineering, Fukuyama University, Japan.
Tanimoto
K
K
Tamura
Y
Y
Mizutani
K
K
Kinoshita
T
T
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002599:Chalcone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004579:Electron Transport; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002599:Chalcone; D010100:Oxygen