title: Assessment of the antibacterial activity of selected flavonoids and consideration of discrepancies between previous reports.
abstract: Activity of the flavonoids apigenin, baicalin and galangin against sensitive and antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococculs aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. Using an agar dilution assay, galangin was shown to have a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 25 to 50 microg/mL against all six strains of S. aureus but negligible activity against the othe species. Apigenin displayed only marginal activity against S. aureus and no activity was detected from baicalin. In inhibition curve studies, galangin caused a 100,000-fold decrease in the viability of a growing population of S. aureus NCTC 6571 within the first two hours of treatment. Decreases in viability of S. aureus NCTC 11561 and NCIMB 9968 populations were also observed.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The Robert Gordon University, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FR, UK.
authors.forename: T P Tim
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Cushnie
authors.forename: Vivienne E S
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lamb
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047310:Apigenin; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006095:Gram-Positive Cocci / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000592:standards; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; C037032:galangin; C038044:baicalin; D047310:Apigenin