title: Inhibition of penicillinase by epigallocatechin gallate resulting in restoration of antibacterial activity of penicillin against penicillinase-producing Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: The combination of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg, a main constituent of tea catechins) with penicillin showed synergism against 21 clinical isolates of penicillinase-producing Staphylococcus aureus. Besides binding directly to peptidoglycan, the inhibition of penicillinase activity by EGCg is responsible for the synergism. EGCg inhibited the penicillinase activity in a dose-dependent fashion, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 10 microg/ml.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. whzhao@med.showa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhi-Qing
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yukihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Tadakatsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimamura
mesh_terms: D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010406:Penicillins; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate