title: Mode of antibacterial action of retrochalcones from Glycyrrhiza inflata.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Fukuyama University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haraguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002599:Chalcone; D010100:Oxygen