Treatment with Hypericum perforatum L. does not trigger decreased resistance in Staphylococcus aureus against antibiotics and hyperforin.
Most scientific investigations of Hypericum perforatum L. (Saint John's wort) concentrated on its antidepressant activity. Only recently, its antibacterial activity against multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus led to speculations regarding the use of hyperforin, an antibacterial principle of hypericum, as an antibiotic. In the present investigation, we show that Staphylococcus aureus is able to acquire a resistance against hyperforin which did not lead to a cross resistance against clinically used antibiotics. Resistance development does not take place, however, at concentrations as low as they are found in human blood plasma during antidepressant treatment with 900 mg Hypericum extract/day.
Hübner
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AT_Huebner@gmx.de
D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D020902:Hypericum; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010696:Phloroglucinol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; D010406:Penicillins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013729:Terpenes; D010696:Phloroglucinol; C001654:hyperforin