Multifactorial aspects of antimicrobial activity of propolis.
We investigated the antibacterial activity of sub-inhibitory concentrations of ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), and its effect on the antibacterial activity of some antibiotics. Some clinically isolated Gram-positive strains were used. Moreover, sub-inhibitory concentrations of EEP were used to value its action on some important virulence factors like lipase and coagulase enzymes, and on biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus. Our results indicated that EEP had a significant antimicrobial activity towards all tested clinical strains. Adding EEP to antibacterial tested drugs, it drastically increased the antimicrobial effect of ampicillin, gentamycin and streptomycin, moderately the one of chloramphenicol, ceftriaxon and vancomycin, while there was no effect with erithromycin. Moreover, our results pointed out an inhibitory action of EEP on lipase activity of 18 Staphylococcus spp. strains and an inhibitory effect on coagulase of 11 S. aureus tested strains. The same EEP concentrations showed a negative interaction with adhesion and consequent biofilm formation in S. aureus ATCC 6538P.
Scazzocchio
F
F
Dipartimento di Scienze di Sanità Pubblica, Facoltà di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy. francesca.scazzocchio@uniroma1.it
D'Auria
F D
FD
Alessandrini
D
D
Pantanella
F
F
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011429:Propolis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000431:Ethanol; D011429:Propolis